Return to the Planet of the Apes: Alternate Worlds
by Bx1011
Summary: Milo, Cornelius, & Zira travel to an alternate Earth where Taylor doesn’t exist. Suspected to be an invasion force the US launches a scout ship back to their world...or is it?
1. Chapter 1: The Departure

**Friday, September 20, 1985. 0530 - Houston, TX**.

Lt Colonel Mark Johnson, Major Thomas March and Captain Jonathan Hayes stepped into the specially designed spacecraft. It was state-of-the-art and exclusively built for the mission on which they were about to embark. Each man performed his preflight checks and inspected his personal equipment. A few technicians were unplugging test equipment, while others were performing last minute simulations and busily typing away on their laptop computers.

The astronauts had trained intensely for three long years for this mission. They were all in exceptional physical condition however Johnson & March were rapidly approaching middle age. Both were combat experienced soldiers and had served their country with distinction during the US – Soviet War that had escalated over the Cuban Missile Crisis back in 1960. President Eisenhower had shown he still had what it took. He stood up to those Commie pricks and got right in their face too. Nixon didn't have the reputation of Eisenhower but still had the stomach to get the job done once Eisenhower's term was up. And though the conflict escalated into a major war, neither side ever launched a nuclear missile. It got damn close though. Course we had the Ruskies out numbered.

Hayes was barely out of diapers back then. Today, he was the one officer who had scarcely reached his prime; a trained weapons specialist having spent two years of his career working with the Israelis in the Syrian conflict of 1982. He was highly intelligent and graduated 3**rd** in his class at MIT. He was a widower who had lost his wife and high school sweetheart to cancer just six months after he'd graduated. Shortly after, he'd requested full time active duty and later applied for special duty with NASA. His wife's death had given him a slightly bitter outlook on life and the world around him. He was risk taker because without his Michelle he really didn't care if he lived or died. He hid that well. No military shrink was going screw with his career. On the outside, he was just the average guy. On the inside he was actually quite the cynic seeing the glass as half empty. Hell, his so called _risk taking_ had save four American lives and earned him the Silver Star back in Israel.

As Hayes walked to his station he thought that it looked like something out of _Star Trek_. The information they'd gathered from the talking Ape, Dr Milo, along with their ship's data recordings, had been quite helpful in the USS _Dreadnaught's_ design. The basic idea was to "ride" the turbulence like a wave while avoiding internal system crashes when the ship encountered the barrier. Dr. Milo was a smart, if not smarter, than any professor he'd had a MIT. Milo had solved about 50% of their navigational issues when he and his fellow apes made their escape to 1980. _Escape,_ how ironic! Once it was discovered these freaks of nature had intelligence and spoke of an ape dominated society, Milo and his fellow terrorists were immediately put to death. Well, maybe not _immediately_. Information was the top priority…then termination. The autopsies showed that the decision to execute the animals had been smarter than they realized, as their _female_ actually arrived pregnant.

If these beasts had been left to themselves who knows how long it would have been until …Well, it was no longer an issue. Besides they'd already proven they couldn't be trusted. There had never been a _Colonel Taylor_ in the space program, let alone NASA. Clever though, a very common name and there were seven _George Taylors_ who had served in the Air Force over the last 18 years. A First Lieutenant George Taylor was the closest fit to their description but he had been shot down over Minks in '63 when the United States and ROC Armies (Republic of China) invaded the USSR from the South during the final days of the war. He was killed or MIA or something. Can't really remember and it doesn't matter. The creatures were obviously lying. A little truth mixed in just to keep us all wondering.

Plus, America hadn't launched any ships to anywhere other than the moon until the Mars mission of 1978. However, one could not deny the fact that the ship they arrived in had distinct US markings. Even the technology and design were amazingly similar. In some cases exactly the same. Not to mention their space suits, the insignias, and equipment. Something didn't add up.

What were these beasts really up to? Were others here before them? Were others here, now? Despite their claims to the contrary they obviously possessed similar technology to ours. Funny, even under torture the creatures still stuck to all their lies.

The satellite probe they'd launched earlier last year had indeed proven that there was some sort of barrier deep in space, though the probe itself never returned. It appeared the apes were not completely _lying_. Using the ape's navigation computers and plotting a reverse course would surely take them right to the ape infested planet they'd come from. They were obviously some sort of advanced scouting party. Possibly a long term colonization project given the fact they'd sent a pregnant chimp along. Those son's a… The sound of Colonel Johnson's voice abruptly shot Hayes back into reality.

"Jonny, what's our status?" Johnson asked.

"Preflight Inspection of the Cockpit, Fuselage, and Empenage are complete. Servo air fitting and ground cooling air inlet tests are complete, as well", Hayes reported.

"Acknowledged", Johnson replied.

Hayes continued: "…All internal instruments are green, Skipper. Exterior inspection crews reporting in now Sir. …Right Wing…Nose…Left Wing all check out green."

Johnson turned to Major March, "What's the status on life-support and weapons, Tom?"

"Life support, food supplies, air and waste recycling and CIS (Combat Intelligence System) all check out. Preliminary tests of the ACM panel (Air Combat Maneuver) completed. We have a full compliment of AA (Air to Air) and AG (Air to Ground)." Tom replied. "At 0400 the weapons and equipment we'll be carrying once we hit the ground were loaded and secured."

**Friday, September 20, 1985. 0800 - Houston, TX**

"_Dreadnaught, this is command. You are clear for launch. Initiate Stage Alpha_", said the voice coming through the ships internal communications.

"Roger Command. Initiating count down. Locking in launch data." Johnson replied. "Crew please prepare for liftoff".

The massive engines roared as the automated launch sequence was entered into the ship's computer. 30 seconds later The _Dreadnaught_ lifted off the ground and soared into the sky in a blazing blur. Inside the ship the three men felt a slight tug of turbulence as the ship's speed increased. The ship continued to rise upward and, in a flash, broke out of the Earth's atmosphere.

"_Dreadnaught_ to US Central Command. Stage Alpha complete. Adjusting course and speed to preset coordinates." Colonel Johnson reported.

"Acknowledged_Dreadnaught_. Stage Alpha complete. You are authorized to initiate Stage Bravo. We are tracking you now_" _replied Command

For two and a half hours the ship's automated guidance steered them towards their destination. Things were routine. Check-ins with US command took place every 30 minutes, systems functioned, lights flashed, rockets & thrusters fired occasionally and gradually they approached _the barrier_, as it had been dubbed.

_Priority alert, massive gravity well detected bearing .766 degrees Port. Unknown radiation pulse detected. Hull integrity compromised by 8.5301%. _The CIS reported. _Readings confirm radiation levels 3.2% higher than normal _- _Refractive polarization initiated -….3% …2% …1%. Radiation is now at normal levels._

The _Dreadnaught_ hastily approached the anomalous wave. The object looked like… well nothing actually. The systems showed something was there but from main window it all looked like normal space.

"_Dreadnaught_ to US Central Command. Stage Bravo complete." Colonel Johnson reported.

"_Ack ~ssss ~ged ~ __dna~ss~ht. ~sssss~" _replied the garbled message

"_Dreadnaught_ to Command your last transmission was garbled… Command, do you read? …Tom, adjust our heading .766 degrees Port and level us off. Jonny, standby to fire maneuvering thrusters three & four. I don't want to hit that thing too fast and bounce off. And try and find out what's wrong with our communications." Johnson ordered.

"Aye Skipper. Coming about to .766 degrees." Tom said

"Thrusters won't come on-line, Sir. I'm not sure what it is but that thing is putting out some kind of pulse that's messing with internal interfaces & communications. We're also being pulled towards it and the radiation levels are increasing again" Jonathan Hayes added.

"Messing with our system? In what way? We're going to need those thrusters. If we hit the outer …" That was the last thing Colonel Johnson said before the ship jerked violently. Major Thomas March's control panel sparked and began to smoke. Hayes punched away at the keyboard interface, cursing as nothing seemed to work. The CIS system began reporting malfunctions as the three men faded into a black emptiness.


	2. Chapter 2: The Arrival

**Day: Unknown. Time: Unknown. Place: Unknown**

Captain Hayes woke to the sound of voices and the occasional pounding coming from outside their ship. The other men appeared to be unconscious. Or even worse, dead. Hayes didn't have time to check. There was thick smoke and a number of small electrical fires in progress. If he hadn't been wearing his environmental suit he'd surely be dead from asphyxiation. If he didn't act quickly he was going to die anyway. Hayes removed his gloves and worked his way over to main command console. He moved Johnson aside who was still unconscious but appeared to be alive.

Hayes heard a faint voice outside saying: "I want inside that thing now." A repeating _Thuuud, Thuuud _could be heardamidst the faded but growing voices.

"Sir, we don't dare shoot. We might hit civilians." One voice cried.

"Then clear everyone away and burn that thing." The first voice roared. "Tow it out of the city and chop it into dust if you have to. Just open it up"

"_English. That's English. Did we crash? How? We were light years from Earth. How did we get back? Why are they talking about shooting and burning the ship?" _Hayes contemplated to himself, wondering if he was hallucinating.

The ship was in bad shape but Hayes was able to access the emergency safety systems. Main power seemed to be out but the back-up batteries were on line. The automated extinguishing mechanisms hissed & turned as they released their flame quenching spray. Another few minutes and the atmospheric systems vented the smoke. Once it was safe, Hayes removed his space-suit so he could function without the bulky restrictions. He was going for a med-kit when he heard a moan from Thomas March.

"Jon, Wh-what…" ~ _cough_ ~ "What's going …on? Where are we?" March asked as he caught his breath. He was still light headed. "_Uuuhhh_" he mumbled to himself as he tried to stand. "Feels like someone beat me with a two by four. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, Tom. The last thing I remember was reaching the barrier and then I woke up here. I just put out some internal fires and was about to tend to the two of you." Hayes answered.

"I'm fine, Jon. I just need a minute to clear my head. Check on the skipper. Once that's done I want you to get an estimate of the damages. See if you can get the CIS online. While you're doing that I'm going to see if I can open the shielding and determine where we are. And before you do any of that make sure you arm yourself. I don't know who's out there but from the sound of it they're not exactly the welcome party. If they get in and come at us, I want them introduced to a 9mm slug."

"Roger Sir. …Tom, are you sure you're ok? I can…" Hayes said.

"I'm fine, Jonny!" March interrupted. "Just do what I said while I figure out where in the hell we are."

Colonel Johnson was still unconscious. Whatever had affected the ship and its crew had taken the worse toll on him. Hayes unlatched Johnson's helmet and applied an oxygen mask. After about 20 seconds Johnson began to cough and his eyes slowly opened. He pointed to a canteen of water and motioned for Hayes to give him a drink. As the Colonel drank and regained his composure, Hayes filled him in on what had happened up to that point.

"Ok, it looks like the starboard shielding is fused but I think I've routed some of the existing power to the main and port shielding. Let's see where we are." Thomas March stated. He pushed a few buttons and the large metal shields began to retract. As March looked through the widow of the cockpit things suddenly started to fall in place. "What in name of… Jonny can you see this? We may not like how it happened but we just completed phase one of our mission. We're here." He said in stunned amazement.

Outside, apes busily did their jobs. Crews were clearing rubble and assisting the wounded while others attended to the dead. Fire control units were scrambling to put out flames and keep the civilian population from disrupting the flow of water. Lines of volunteers were passing buckets of water from local wells and the nearby river. Soldiers were shouting orders to their subordinates; calling for this and that in any attempt to enter the strange object from the sky.

The Apes had given up on pounding their way into…the…the thing; whatever it was. It was stronger than stone. It had appeared out of nowhere and lit the city up like it was mid-day as it fell from the clouds. It had destroyed several dwellings and buildings when it hit. Killed hundreds and wounded even more. Parts of the city were on fire while other parts were just gone. It skipped like a stone on a lake when it struck. Where was it from? What was it; sorcery? …Judgment from the gods in the clouds?

"Sergeant, I told you to tow that thing out of here. If you can't handle that task I'll get someone here who can." The young ape lieutenant shouted.

"_Officers!_" the Sergeant thought. "_Damn incompetent fools…_" Mustering as much self control as he could find the gorilla sergeant turned to the lieutenant and said: "Sir, with all due respect would you like me to put it in my pocket and carry it off or should I just let it rest on my shoulders?" Before the lieutenant could react, the sergeant continued. "…Sergeant Volker's crew is on their way with towing equipment but I doubt wagons, ropes and horses will…"

"Wait Sergeant …what's that noise? Those ….uh the …_doors_, they're moving." The ape lieutenant said trying to mask his uneasiness.

"Look! Inside! A Human! I thought they were all dead!" An ape child shouted. That caught the attention of every ape within earshot.

Turning to the closest ape soldier the lieutenant barked out: "Get her out of here! Now! And shoot those animals immediately."

The soldiers lifted their muskets, aimed and fired away in futilely.

The lieutenant ordered a courier to mount a steed, ride to the capital and report the, uh _situation_… This made no sense and the young ape didn't want any part of it. It was too overwhelming. Let someone with more _authority_ handle it. This thing from the sky had hit the garrison and killed every soldier inside. He had been out on a routine patrol when the disaster struck. If he hadn't, he'd have met the same fate as the soldiers in the garrison.

The city's Governor was alive but had been fatally wounded. He was under the care of the local physicians. It didn't matter though. He'd be dead shortly. Like it or not he was the _ranking authority_. The ride from Arum to the capital city, Kawaka and back was a good ten days. And that was barring any bad weather. So, it appeared for now that this mess was solely his problem.

"_Muskets? I don't understand. I have to be dreaming._" March thought in bewilderment.

Colonel Johnson, who was now fully alert, interrupted his thoughts, stating: "We have a problem. The shielding buckled the emergency starboard escape hatch. We have about a six inch gap and it looks like there's stress on the seal. Jonny, can you access rail guns?"

"I don't know, Skipper. I'll see what I can do." Hayes said as he worked his way over to the tactical computer interface.

The gorilla sergeant had also noticed the opening. "You two, get over here!" he ordered. "Grab that…thing and tear it off. The soldiers grunted and leapt from where they were standing landing directly on top of he ship. The closest gorilla attempted to rip off the hatch using both his hands…and _feet_.

"My gosh! They're actually bending it. Skipper we need to find a way out of here." March said in a semi-alarmed tone. "What if we eject?"

"What would that get us? For one thing we don't even know if those systems are damaged. And if they're not and we were luckily enough not to hit a tree, we'd pop out and fall right into their laps. Even with muskets it would be a turkey shoot. Besides, that monkey must have jumped 25 feet without even trying. I don't think they'd have a problem reaching us no matter where we landed." Johnson answered.

"What if we arm ourselves with the M-103s and a few grenades maybe we can…" March said.

He was cut off by the sound of prying metal. A huge uniformed arm with a black fury paw was awkwardly trying to reach inside. The arm was too massive to completely fit but all the tugging was loosening the hatch more every minute. They could hear the sergeant ordering _the musketeers_ to reload as he also shouted for a pistol. "If we can't shoot through this thing we'll shoot into it. If that doesn't work we'll smoke them out. By the law-giver we seem to have enough fire on hand." The sergeant growled as he motioned to a burning set of trees.

The ape lieutenant looked relieved to have the sergeant giving orders. He was well trained but the sergeant had experience and respect. He always seemed to have an answer for every situation. The lieutenant was a bit envious at how leadership seemed to come so effortlessly to some.

"Ok guys we need a plan and we need it fast. Tom, take your pistol and shoot anything that comes near that opening. Grab a smoke grenade and see if you can get it out that hole or through one of the ships waste releases. Hopefully that will confuse them long enough for us to figure something out. Captain Hayes, where are we with the rail guns?"

"Sir, we have full access to the port gun and targeting capability on two of our AA missiles. I also have thruster and engine control but we're on reserve power. If we start firing we're going to drain the batteries. This is a long shot but I think I have an idea. Radar scans confirm that there's a large lake approximately one and a half _Klicks_ northeast. I think I can use the ships internal navigation computer to map a course to that will _punch_ us into the lake. We can use the remaining power to thrust us into the air and fire a short engine burst that will jolt us forward." Hayes explained. "…_I hope"_ Hayes thought to himself.

"That's your plan? To drown us in a lake? This ship is no condition to fly let alone plot a course and then land safely" Johnson said

"Skipper, we have enough fuel so that's not a problem…" Hayes's reply was abruptly interrupted by the sound of gun fire and what sounded like the roar of an animal wounded in a hunt.

_Bam-bam-bam…Pop…Hiss _"Smoke away skipper. I hit one of them but he's not down. Although, he won't be sticking his nose in here again." Thomas exclaimed. "We have got to move they're going to be back. And when they are they'll have that hatch off."

"Noted, Major. We're leaving before that happens." Johnson replied. "Ok Jon, what's your plan? Whatever it is we need to hurry."

"Skipper, like I was saying fuel's no problem I just need time to work with the navigation system and make my calculations. The ship is damaged beyond normal flight capability but lifting us up a propelling us forward will work. We'll also fry anything within 50 meters of the ship too. Those bastards will…" the sound of gun fire cut short Hayes statement.

_Bam-bam… _"The smoke isn't stalling them enough, Mark. They're regrouping and I think they're going to try and burn us out." Thomas shouted as he fired the two random shots.

"Then toss a grenade, just make sure it's far enough out not to kill us as well." Johnson said. He then pointed at Hayes. "Whatever it is Jonny; do it. Do it now. I'd rather die trying your plan then to sit here waiting for it to come from those animals." Johnson finished his statement and ordered Thomas to assist Hayes.

He grabbed a Munzenburger 103 from the equipment wrack, (_M-103_ for short). He flipped the latch from safety to semi-auto. The Munzenburger was a weapon adopted by both the US Army and the Marines. It was a tough, durable weapon and deadly accurate. The German gun maker; Well, West German gun maker at the time, Harold Munzenburger, had designed it during the German civil war. He'd used the original model when he fought the Cubans and Soviets back in the 60s.

"I just need about two minutes Skipper." Hayes said trying to sound as optimistic as his cynical _inner man_ would allow. "Tom, please check the ejection equipment. It should be fine since it's not linked to the major electrical systems. Check the emergency equipment pod as well. Then strap in." Hayes then began to industriously plug away at the computer.

"_Ok you freak bastards. Let's see how __you__ like to be screwed with." _Johnson thought to himself. The hatch was bent back and almost off but not enough for the massive gorilla's to fully get in. Johnson adjusted his position as close to the hole as he could. The smoke and gun shots from Thomas's pistol seemed to have the apes second guessing their current strategy. The smoke was beginning to clear and the sun had risen. Visibility was about 75 to 80%.

"All right Bo-Bo, try this one on for size." Johnson muttered.

The events that took place next lasted about 45 seconds but seemed more like 45 hours to Colonel Johnson. His heart began to pound as adrenalin coursed through his body. Though he often tried to ignore it he felt the fatigue of age tugging at his joints and muscles.

He employed a technique that the US Army Special Ops had taught him in his second year of training. It was designed to cause fear and confusion when exiting an area where a large population existed. He adjusted the site a bit and aimed the weapon at a random ape that was drawing a bucket of water. _Pow… _It wasn't a kill shot. It was designed to wound and draw attention to the victim. The intention was to create confusion and fear. The chimp went down and began to howl. The bullet had ripped through the animal's thigh and took a chunk of stone out of the well.

Before anyone could react he turned and fired at an ape clearing rubble on a roof top, and then shot at another chimp running for cover, then at horse the ape lieutenant was on. Both apes, as well as, the horse went down screaming like first.

"_Random targets…then disrupt command and control._" Johnson's mind whispered to him.

The smoke was all but gone and the shots had drawn the attention of the nearby soldiers. Especially since their commanding officer was yelling for help. They were starting to organize again. He fired at the closest gorilla and hit him directly in the chest. The beast staggered but astonishingly didn't fall.

"_Amazing_" thought Johnson. Just as he finished that thought he heard the gorilla sergeant start barking off instructions. Unexpectedly their eyes met. Without thinking about it Johnson switched from semi to full auto.

"I'll eat your dead carcass, human!" The ape shouted. It must have been twenty to thirty feet away yet it leapt towards him with the speed and grace of an eagle. Unfortunately the primate wasn't faster than the barrage of bullets that decapitated him in mid air.

Inside the ship Thomas March was already strapped in and silently praying. Hayes had finished his calculations and was also strapping himself in. "Ok Skipper, I'm ready." Hayes shouted.

Johnson never had a chance to answer. One of the ape soldiers had managed to flank the ship and climb on top of it. He fired a pistol into the open area and hit Johnson in the arm. Next, he managed to rip the already warped hatch door off of its seal. The beast reached down, snatched Johnson out of the ship, and tossed him like a rag doll.

"Colonel!" Hayes shouted. But his instincts told him it was too late. If he went out there he'd surely be their next victim. "Hold on Major. Here we go."


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth about the Humans

**Capital City: Kawaka – 6 days later**

The courier arrived in the capital city just shy of nightfall. He hadn't slept for almost 72 hours. He felt surprisingly well given the fact that hadn't had much food either. The Lord Prefect would probably be at home rather than the capital building, at this hour. Finding him was going to be an unpleasant task. The city housed several thousand simians. His best bet was to seek out a patrol and report to a superior. "_Let them sort it all out_." He mumbled.

It didn't take long to find the patrol he was in search of. A noisy rabble a few blocks over caught his attention. A patrol was breaking up a drunken brawl. Several of them were chasing chimp-sots through the streets. Others were loading drunken apes, too inebriated to resist, into a wagon.

Realizing that he was close to a full gallop, he slowed his horse down. He didn't want to convey any misconceptions that might result in a lead ball between his eyes. It was a good thing too because he startled the group as he approached. "You there; Stop!" a soldier ordered holding up his musket horizontally. "What's your business here?"

"I'm Kutos. I've ridden from Arum. I have a message for the Lord Prefect. It's most urgent." The courier stopped speaking as he noticed a gorilla office approach.

"What's going on here, Marcus? We already have enough worries dealing with these drunken fools. Are there other issues going on elsewhere in the city?" The gorilla captain asked. Marcus didn't reply. Instead, he motioned towards the newly arrived messenger.

Kutos struggled for the right words and finally decided to put it him bluntly. "I'm sorry to bother you Sir. I'm corporal Kutos; stationed at Arum City. This…uh… _thing_ fell from the Arum sky. It destroyed much of the city; killed hundreds, destroyed the garrison…wounded many of the local population… There were strange looking humans inside with wea…"

"Humans? Impossible! We've killed every human in the settled territories over half a century ago. The few that we spared are tucked away in zoos. They're a stupid animal, nothing more." The ape captain broke in.

"Sir, these _were_ humans. …From the, uh, sky. They were much like the old legends and stories described too. If I had not witnessed it I wouldn't believe it myself …their muskets fired …repeatedly…they even spoke…It was…"

"You're as drunk as these sots are…that or you're just a prating fool." Marcus said, pointing to the chimps in the wagon. "Those stories are fables. No human can speak. _Hmmpf_! _Winged_ _Humans from the sky_…utter nonsense."

Kutos's frustration turned to resentment. He didn't like being called a liar or being thought of as some kind of babbling idiot. He suddenly found himself hungry and overly fatigued. Whether they believed him or not he didn't care. He simply wanted to deliver his message, eat and then sleep for the next week or two. "We'll see who the fool is when I cut out your beating heart. If you don't care to hear my message, so be it. I've ridden five days and spent an additional one crouched in a tree while the sky opened up an ocean of rain on me. I'm hungry and right now your mangy carcass looks good enough to gut and eat."

"You just come here and try it and I'll…" Marcus started to reply but was trumped by his Superior.

"That's enough! I don't have time to listen to you two trade idol threats. I also don't have the time to decipher riddles. Give me the message and I'll pass it on to the Magistrate. If he decides you're not the rambling fool Marcus says you are then we'll take the information to Prefect Sullen. Get yourself some food and rest. Report to the garrison in the morning we'll take it from there. " The gorilla captain ordered.

Kutos repeated his message a third time. He handed the captain the sealed parchment from the lieutenant in Arum, which would at least prove his authenticity. He then saluted the Captain, set off for the nearest tavern, and finally got some long needed sleep.

**The next Morning….**

Something seemed odd to Captain Gondar. Magistrate Ndola had listened to the strange news without even showing the smallest bit of skepticism. In fact, he appeared to believe it fully. His questions were specific and his voice conveyed no tone of suspicion. He'd sent Gondar to fetch the Prefect before the dispatch rider from Arum had even finished half his story. Besides Sullen, three ape generals and Doctor Pacs were present. It was all very strange.

"…_talking Humans from the sky…repeating muskets…could it be true?" _he thought. "_The courier's dispatch carried Arum's official seal. Why would he make up such an outlandish tale? Could the fables he'd been told as a child really be true? Had there actually been intelligent human tribes at one time? Impossible; Not even the brightest ape could make flying machines. It had to be a hoax. Whatever the case I have duties to perform." _With his thoughts returning to the responsibilities at hand, Gondar shook his head and went on his way.

Inside the chamber there was an awkward silence. The courier had been dismissed. Sullen starred at Magistrate Ndola with worry. Few apes were entrusted with the truth. His grandfather had done his best to rewrite history almost a century earlier. He'd demonized humans and painted them as savage animals that resembled a cross between a giant locus and savage wolves; destroying everything in their path. That wasn't exactly a lie. If not controlled, humans would have destroyed everything they touched. Prefect Sullen finally broke the silence: "So it's true. Somewhere there is a tribe of humans that survived the purging."

"What kind of a threat could a few weak humans be?" General Grazot asked.

"General…" Sullen said. He paused and looked at the other two leaders of his military and Dr. Pacs. "My fellow Simians, what I am about to say is not to leave this room. If these things were to ever be discovered by the general population it could undo over a hundred years of planning. We have a peaceful, structured society but it was not always so."

Sullen continued; "You have all heard the stories and legends of _talking_ humans, stories of huge _magical_ cities, magnificent apparatuses that sailed on land, air and sea, incredible weapons… We have told these stories to our children and grandchildren for many years. Though they've been embellished and evolved slightly over time, they are based in truth."

"Prefect!" Dr Pacs exclaimed with disbelief. "I find that very hard to accept. I've examined humans many times. They're typical beasts. They can't even wipe their noses let alone talk."

"True Doctor but loosely so." replied Prefect Sullen. "When we operate on the humans in our zoos and we cut into their brains we're not really pacifying their primal instinct centers as it's commonly believed? We're actually retarding them. Keeping them _dumb_. After the purging, it was decided that some of the beasts would be spared for controlled study. Emphasis on _controlled_. Given their natural state they are extremely dangerous but in all honesty they are highly intelligent. If controlled there certain are benefits we can obtain. Much of what we know has been learned from them. Once a human has served its purpose it is either _pacified _or killed."

General Grazot grunted and glanced at his superior as if the Prefect had lost his mind. Supreme General Narr tilted his head and signaled for Grazot to keep silent. General Zuglanus, the third military officer present, picked up on the Supreme General's motion and decided it was in his best interest to stay quiet too. Sullen had already noticed the silent doubt in the General's face. Grazot wasn't hiding it all that well, so the Prefect beckoned him to speak.

General Grazot looked over at Narr, respectfully, seeking approval to the Prefect's request. Narr gave a nod and with that Grazot spoke up; "Lord Prefect, with all due respect sir; the human animal is weak. They freeze in cold and shriek in heat. They eat, they sleep…Three humans, six humans, a dozen…an ape child could easily…"

Magistrate Ndola impulsively interrupted the General. He had been patient until now but had already realized that every second they bickered wasted valuable time. Those humans were out there somewhere and already had a week's head start. And any actions taken to find them would take another week just to organize, giving these beasts more time to do…who knows what. "Listen to me! Let this sink in and let it sink in good. The rumors of these _humans from the sky_ is no fable. It is a serious matter and must be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Where there are three, six or a dozen humans, there is bound to be a nest of them. If not contained they will surely reign destruction down on everything we hold sacred. They are a menace. A walking pestilence!"

Whether it was his sudden shouting or his serious tone, it didn't matter; Ndola had the group's complete attention. "About two to three hundred years ago there were thousands of humans and just as many apes. There had been an immense war causing great destruction. Unfortunately, the facts surrounding those events have been dulled over time. Our only certainty is that the humans caused it. Some sort of internal Human squalor over who knows what."

Ndola paused. He took in some air, let it out slowly and went on in a calmer tone. "The humans and apes who survived this war constantly fought. Despite the destruction they caused, the surviving humans continued to war with anything that came across their paths. Yes general, the human is physically weak but he is highly cunning and resourceful. …A born combatant who will turn on his kind for profit or gain. He is a warlike creature who gives battle to everything around him, even himself. He will kill without mercy. He will act without conscience or care of the consequence. From the evidence, man's wisdom walks hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions rule his brain."

"Magistrate, if the human is so, uh, _superior_…" General Zuglanus asked sarcastically; "then why are they extinct? Why does the ape rule? Where are his tribes? Where are his _vast magical_ cities? I have never seen any evidence of ruins." Grazot grunted in agreement. Both considered themselves, simple soldiers, seeing an issue as black or white. There was no gray. Not for the warrior. Not in battle. Not in leadership!

The Magistrate was a chimp. He was never surprised at the response of the simple-minded gorilla brute. Sure the ape was a general! And good at what he did, but so was a pack-mule. Since time was of the essence and to make his point stick Ndola set two books down on the table. All three of the Generals looked down at the books and then strangely stared back at each other. "See for yourselves." Ndola said, motioning for the general to pick up the books.

The first book was tattered and old and had the words: _The Toledo Zoo_ on the cover. The second looked like some kind of technical manual; _Guns of the American Revolution_. What seemed even stranger were pictures of peculiarly dressed humans on both of the covers. The 'zoo' book showed a naked gorilla behind bars as human children pointed towards it. The second book showed colorfully dressed humans holding muskets and shooting at each other.

Ndola picked up _Guns of the American Revolution _and turned to General Grazot; "Your musket was built from specifications in this book, General Grazot. Specifications designed by _humans_. We have similar books on medicine, science, economics, psychology, and religion. Most of the books were destroyed in the war but a few were secured before the purging."

"I…I don't understand…I mean how…" The General mumbled battling reason against the proof he was staring right in the face.

Prefect Sullen put a hand on the shoulder of General Grazot and said: "Both my father and grandfather told me that relations between the human tribes and apes was extremely volatile. Hatred and distrust trumped reason. The humans were organized, cunning, and slowly but systematically killing off the ape population. One to one the ape is a far superior specimen both in strength and stamina. However, that is, as I said, one to one. The weapons the humans possessed were highly efficient and destructive. Some could take down fifty gorilla soldiers at once. Others could strike without warning. You were dead before you even knew what happened. They also built machines …some of which were flying machines as the courier described."

"Sir, I have to go back to what General Zuglanus asked earlier. If the humans were so superior why are they not the dominant species? How is it that only a few exist? Where is the evidence of machines and these destroyed cities?" asked Dr. Pacs

"We used their own deadly weapons against them, Doctor. Food and water were scarce. And though the humans had unique weapons their resources were running dry. And despite even that, the ape was still losing." Sullen replied. "So deals were made. Uneasy alliances between ape and human were formed where _mutual_ interests existed. The human's poisoning influence began spilling over to apes. Power struggles ensued. In rare cases humans provided apes with weapons pitting ape against ape. There was no honor among Simian or Human. It seemed that all might be lost when…Well, The exact details are not clear but the whereabouts of an old weapon was discovered. It was rumored that it could light ten cities ablaze. That weapon was stolen and then ignited by several brave apes, some of whom were part my own family. It went off in the heart of the human populace."

Sullen paused and then continued on quietly. "However the estimate on the weapons destruction was grossly underestimated. Thousands of apes were killed by it as well. There was sickness that followed and then mass death. The land, water and air had been poisoned. My grandfather rallied our race from the rubble. Every remaining human found was killed. Both man, woman and child. The entire ape population was moved. How far? I do not know. My grandfather had maps, books and other equipment that he'd secured from the humans. We pilgrimaged here. And this is where we rebuilt society. It was decided that for the ape to flourish, all humans would have to be exterminated. "

Sullen poured water into a glass and took a drink. He opened a window and then waved his hand towards the city. "The humans in this region were not as organized as the ones we'd left. There were far less of them, as well. They were rounded up and killed. Hunting parties went out hundreds of miles slaughtering any human they came across. And that my Simian friend is the answer to your questions. "

Sullen closed the window he had just opened. "Now…We need to find these humans and kill them." He said calmly. "So this is what needs to be done."


	4. Chapter 4: The Plot Thickens

**Approximately Two hundred kilometers NE of Arum City**

The two astronauts guided the parachutes attached to their ejection seats, as best as they could, towards land. It was obvious that they weren't going to make it_. Better wet than dead, _March thought to himself_._ _Jonny's plan actually worked_.

The plan had worked indeed. Hayes had programmed the navigation computers to lift the ship just high enough for it to clear the trees and buildings. Once elevated, the engines fired with enough force to jolt them forward like a child shooting a rubber band into the air. The maneuvering thrusters kept the ship relatively stable using a random firing sequence. The craft was in no shape for extended flight but was able to propel forward just enough for them to eject before it finally broke apart. _Thank you Lord for American ingenuity; _March prayed silently.

The apes, in Arum, never knew what hit them. The inferno at 'lift off' instantly incinerated everything within 250 meters. …_Including Mark_; March contemplated. _Probably better for him. Hell, he was most likely dead long before lifted off. It won't be the same without ya, buddy. You bought us the time we needed to escape._ _Escape …to where exactly?_ The ship was destroyed. What was left of it was now, in pieces, at the bottom of this lake. Like it or not, they were stuck here. No way to get back home unless a ship conveniently fell in their laps; which didn't appear to be likely.

"This planet has an amazing resemblance to Earth; Pines, Birch trees. Even the birds are similar." Tom mumbled to himself as he adjusted his decent to match that of his colleague. He noticed Jon fidgeting with something but couldn't quite make it out. From up here he could see that the lake went on for hundreds of miles. There were several islands and things seemed oddly pristine; quite peaceful overall.

Hayes readied himself for impact. He released his equipment pack and let it fall from his side. The cord attached to his waste jerked as the fall finally ended. He stowed a small device in the pocket of his flight suit. Next, he unfastened the latches holding him in the ejection seat and dropped into the cold water. He landed almost a full minute before March did. By the time March was in the water, Hayes had the emergency lifeboat inflated. He paddled over, helped him in, and the two men headed for the shore.

"I'm hungry." March said, shivering a bit. He pulled a dark green wool blanket from the survival gear they'd grabbed and then opened a soggy candy bar he'd stowed away in his pocket. The survival packs were made of a special gortex, designed to keep everything dry in case of rain or in this event, impact with a lake. They were also designed to protect equipment against extreme heat and cold. Hayes gave a little chuckle and then replied with; "Eating that junk can kill you, you know? You ought to play it safer there, Major." His remark to the Major reminded him that one of them had already lost his life. "The Skipper gave his life saving us." He went on uneasily.

"They pulled him from that hatch like he was a paper doll. Mark had to weigh at least 230 lbs, Jonny. He was 6'1". … These apes are exceptionally strong. They were able to bend tempered steel. They don't look as docile or _evolved_ as the ones that landed back home either. They're more…I don't know, savage looking…But we'd all be dead if Mark hadn't acted when he did." March answered.

"That's not all that that doesn't add up Tom. I can accept talking Apes, _differences_ and all. That's not what confuses me. When I was calculating the details for our escape I was able to engage the GPS interface. It's an automated process built into the CIS software. It mapped our course, speed and position based on terrain, weather, and data directly fed from the CIS computers. The CIS supplied it with damage estimates, weight, and fuel volumes. Based on that, I was able to automate and adjust for our escape accordingly." Hayes stated.

"GPS? …but …You'd have to have access to a satellite network. _OUR _satellite network …Authentication software and all. There is no way these misfits from the NY Zoo could build a satellite. Let alone get one in orbit." March replied.

"And that's not the only mystery. We're on Earth, Tom. …North America. Or it would be, if we were _home_. This is the Province of Ontario to be even more precise. We're on the Southwestern tip of Lake Nipigon. It's, more or less, north of Lake Superior. I took cold weather training at Fort Garrison when I was a Lieutenant. …before I was deployed to Israel." Hayes added sarcastically. "Ft. Garrison is about 25 Kilometers from Lake Nipigon. And according to the Sat Chron Intel today is, June 16th, 2563." Hayes explained.

"You're telling me we're over 500 years in the future? And that what those three apes, back on Earth, were claiming may have been true?" March sputtered was he chewed the last bite of his Snickers bar.

"Closer to six actually, about 578, but I don't think _we're_ _home_. Look at this." Hayes said reaching into a pocket inside his flight suit. He pulled out a small _field-pad_ and handed it to the other Astronaut. "It's _active_, Tom, _fully_ active. I had it request basic field navigation after we ejected. Zoom out and look at the overlay of North America."

March looked down and mumbled "I don't understand. How can this be Earth? …GSP?" He zoomed out as Hayes suggested and replied; "Looks ok to me, I guess." March wasn't the braniac geek that Jonny was. He was handy but more along the lines of working on an automobile or fixing things around the house. He was a _jack of all trades and a master of none_ as his first wife used to say. He didn't have the slightest interest in geography and, at the moment, he was too tired for riddles.

"Look closer Tom. Why is Quebec shown as part of Canada? Shortly after the war with Russia ended, The League of Nations pressured Canada to grant independence. And where is the OAZ? _(*Occupied Alaskan Zone)_. It's shown as part of the US and not the USSR. Yeah we stayed after the war per LN Resolution 301. But on a map, it's still part of the Soviet Union." Hayes explained.

He went on: "A lot can happen in six hundred years but this doesn't seem right. It's the same, but different. Kind of like the stories from those Apes back home were; similar in some ways, very different in others. The barrier we hit must somehow cross dimensions. Whatever the explanation, my guess is that this isn't _our_ _future._ Just like our present probably wasn't the past of those three freaks that showed up in an _American_ ship. A ship we never built but was quite _American_ none the less" Hayes concluded.

March tapped the _Synchronize_ button. The field-pad beeped and displayed their location; _/____49.833; -88.5__Map Coordinates:__ 49°50'N 88°30'W? / 49.833333, -88.5__._ _/_ _/__49.833; -88.5_ A small green light blinked in the Southwestern part of a huge lake shown in what was Canada. At the top, the date and time displayed: _Thursday, 16 Jun 2563: 1322 HRS, EST. __How ironic,_ he thought, as he silently wished himself a happy birthday.

Something that sounded like firecrackers popping pulled both men back into the reality at hand. "Wherever _here_ is, doesn't matter. It looks like more of these apes found us. I'll say this; we definitely have superior fire power. They'll never hit his us with those pea shooters. Not at this range, anyway. We're going north, away from shore. Let's head for that island. " March said.

_...90 minutes later…_

March felt like they'd been rowing for days even though it had only been about a couple of hours. His flight suit was dry but he was starting to sweat and itch as the afternoon sun beat down. _Still_ _beats winter_, he thought. Especially for someone born and raised in Arizona. He hated the cold ever since he'd been a child and hated it even more because of the third world war. _I don't know how those damn Ruskies can stand it_.

Hayes hadn't seen signs of any apes for awhile. Being considerably younger than March his body was more adept to the weather, as well as, the rowing. Gazing through a pair of binoculars, he noticed several deer running along the tree line of the island. He felt a bit home sick for the woods in the upper peninsula of Michigan. He, his father, and brother had hunted there quite often when he was growing up. The only thing that seemed to be missing was snow …And Michelle, of course. They'd gone up there on what she thought was a quick weekend getaway. Jon had proposed marriage and that was when their life together as a family took root. _Damn it, I miss you_, he thought as a few small tears began to involuntarily form in his eyes. He embarrassingly wiped them away pretending to wipe sweat from his face. His unconscious senses made it seem like he'd just 'exposed' his inner-self to the entire world. In reality, he had nothing to be embarrassed about. Major March was too busy catching his breath and downing water to notice much else.

They inventoried their provisions as they headed north; Medical supplies, weapons, ammunition, radios, food & water; they had all of it but in limited quantity. Hayes swept the perimeter with his binoculars once again. Still no sign of the Apes anywhere. "Looks clear, Major." He said, still feeing a bit uneasy over his recent 'emotional outburst'. He made one last sweep of the area focusing specifically on the trees.

"Alright Jonny, let's do this by the book. When we hit the shore, I'll sweep left and you sweep right, circular motion. Once clear, you secure your equipment while I stay on security. Then we'll switch and I'll secure mine. We'll move into the forest with you on point. You cover 6:00 to 12, on our left flank and I'll cover 12 to 6 on the right. If we have to fire make it count. We obviously can't resupply what we use." March ordered.

"Roger, Sir!" Hayes replied as he rowed towards shore. March had his M-103 set on semi-auto; _3RB_ (Three Round Burst). The adrenalin running through his system was telling him to switch to _FA,_ (Fully Automatic). Three rounds would only piss them off. He was looking through a scope and making mental notes on the terrain as they approached the shore. The beach, if you could call it that, was muddy with greenish-black look. They landed the craft, swept the area and moved forward.

**Arum City – Eight days later**

General Grazot and his unit entered the roped off area. It had been some time since he'd seen destruction on this level. When he first joined the military, a tornado had hit the capital. It arrived just after a massive rain fall. The wind leveled the existing structures with such force that in some cases you'd have never known that buildings once stood there. This was different though. These stone structures weren't so much demolished as …melted. Some were in rubble but most looked like they'd actually been set on fire. "How is it possible to burn stone", one soldier said as he touched the molten bricks. The ground looked strange as well. Mixed in with the dirt and debris were fragments of glass.

"Be careful General Grazot, its everywhere. I gave some samples to the chemist for study, but it looks like typical glass." Sergeant Volker stated. Until the general and his party had arrived, he'd been playing; _ranking official_. Every other soldier or bureaucrat was either dead or too critically injured to command. His Lieutenant had been eradicated suddenly when the humans whisked away in that thing they'd arrived in. No loss there. The Lieutenant was a bumbling buffoon. He'd only gotten the commission because his father and the Town's Governor, _former Governor _that is, were old friends. He liked being _commander-in-chief_. No red tape. No bumbling superiors barking their orders at him like he was the house monkey. It had been his will, his decisions, and his orders that were being followed without question. But alas, all good things do come to an end.

To his credit, the sergeant proved to be an excellent administrator. His years as a soldier had certainly paid off. In the short time he'd been in charge he'd coordinated food distribution, medical treatment, and some parts of the city were already under repair or reconstruction. He'd severely disciplined a couple of soldiers who had attempted to get rich off the misfortune by starting a black market operation. Volker had promised that any ape with the intention of _making a quick score_ from the situation would hang from his thumbs…all four of them. They'd not only hang but would also be his personal target for some nice leisurely musket practice.

The general finished his tour of the area. He questioned several civilians for what seemed like hours. Their stories corroborated on two basic themes: Rumors of humans running about with some kind of fire weapon and others claiming it to be a sign of the great ape's wrath. It was unfortunately convenient that those who had actually witnessed the humans speak were mostly dead; all except for Kutos, an ape child, and random others. Kutos had been ordered to never speak of the incident again or he'd join his Lieutenant in the ape city above the clouds. He'd been promoted to _Troop Sergeant_. That was a three rank jump. And it more than doubled his pay. The promotion also came with private quarters and command over a detachment of forty soldiers. The excuse given was that too many soldiers had been lost in …_the_ _accident_. Thus, the 'more experienced' soldiers were being promoted to fill open leadership positions within the ranks. In reality, he was being bribed for his silence.

Sergeant Volker was given a field commission to Lieutenant to lend the story more credibility; though in Volker's case he did posses the necessary talents to do the job. It also carried a significant increase in pay. The young ape girl's experience was played off as nothing more than an over active imagination. However, many had watched the object fall. And just as many had witnessed the human after he was pulled from the object. And most claimed they saw the object leap into the air in a blaze of blinding light. Then there was the obvious; one third of Arum was in ruin. No colorful saga could cover that up. This wasn't going to be easy to smooth over. But what did he care? This was the Magistrate's problem. He had finally accepted these _sophisticated_ humans for what they were. The more he pondered it all, the more his curiosity and envy grew.

Looking around General Grazot wondered how such power was even possible. If an ape controlled that much strength he would be unstoppable. His mind began to fantasize on the possibilities: _If __**I**__ commanded that kind of power I could rule without fear of retaliation. There would be no need for Apes such as that fool Ndola_. Grazot had always known Ndola thought Gorillas were somehow the 'inferior breed'. He'd never shown his disdain towards Ndola or spoke of it among his peers. _In no way does one ever let his enemy see his weakness_, he thought. Ndola wasn't really an enemy but the premise still fit. _That bureaucrat quill pusher isn't even worth the trouble. I'll find those men and when I do, that power WILL be mine!_

General Grazot brought himself back to the present as he walked into the make-shift command post. "Magistrate!" he said as he saluted bringing a closed paw to his chest. Ndola nodded and beckoned him to sit down. "Something to drink, General?" Ndola asked as he handed Grazot a goat skin canteen of water, without waiting for a reply. "Hmm" Grazot grunted as he nodded and drank it down in gratitude. He quickly gave Ndola a report of his day's activities.

"Don't worry about the masses, General. In time we'll be able to convince them of anything. Keep them fat and happy and soon they'll forget all about this, uh, _incident_" Ndola reassured him. "However, that all lies on the animals being caught and exterminated."

"Look here, General. I want you to see this." Grazot walked over to a table. Ndola was removing a blanket that had been placed over several odd looking items: Burned melted debris, tattered cloth, a charred human skull and several other things that looked as foreign to him as the book he'd observed back in the capital.

"What is all of this, Sir?" Grazot asked.

"These were recovered after the humans escaped. Their _device_ was tracked to the Great Fish Pond north of here. Most of their contraption is at its bottom but these were recovered along the shoreline." Ndola replied. "Look at the symbol". Ndola handed him what was left of a cracked space helmet.

"The Fish Pond; that's a good two days ride from here." Grazot claimed as he took the helmet remains from Ndola. He stared at the strange object for a moment. It felt very light but looked like it should weigh much more. _What is it?_ _What wonders were you once capable of?_ He thought to himself. He noticed an inscription: "_Nah Sah, Uh-Saf [_*_NASA USAF_] …What's it mean?" he asked.

"I don't know. The name of their tribe I suppose. But I do recognize the colorful symbol below it. It matches a banner in one of the human books you saw. These humans could come from that same clan." Ndola answered in aggravation. "I don't understand how a human tribe could have survived? They are not a nomadic species. What's even more disturbing to me is this thing here." He said pointing to a long rectangular object on the table.

Ndola handed him the half-melted _M-103_. The rifle was beyond use or repair, but was still recognizable as a weapon. Even if it were repairable the primates who now possessed it wouldn't have had the slightest idea where to even start.

The general mulled over the object in bewilderment; "…Looks like a …weapon. This isn't wood though…something different…" General Grazot abruptly placed the rifle back down on the table as he noticed something that caught his eye. "What do you make of this, Magistrate?" he asked. Grazot picked up a ring. The craftsmanship was amazing. And the jewel on top looked like it would trade for fifty horses. There was an inscription on the side; _George Washington Academy._ _Class of 1959. "_Academy? …human soldiers, eh?" He mumbled

"The human was not entirely burned. His arm was ripped asunder when he was pulled from their …_vessel_. That was on a finger." Ndola answered.

"Magistrate." Grazot said as he rubbed the vibrant gem attached to the ring with his thumb. "Why would the humans flee towards the Fish Pond? Wouldn't they sink like a stone in its cold waters; trading one type of death for another? Even the apes that trawl the waters for fish and food are deathly afraid of it. No ape is foolish enough to venture out too far."

"I do not fully know General. The food dispensation facilities north of here reported spotting something bright in the midmorning sky. They also stated that _two simians_ were seen falling 'like a feather' …as one report indicated. Those 'apes' got into a boat. The locals were so startled that some of them opened fire. …Babbling something about judgment coming." Ndola informed him.

"General! These animals are extremely ingenious" Ndola continued on firmly. "They seem to adapt to whatever situation arises! Look at this pistol. It was found in the rubble. …Probably attached to its paw as its arm was pulled off his frail carcass. It suffered minimal damage. If this tribe is equipped with type of armament…"

General Grazot took the pistol in his paw. "It's made of the same material as that thing is." Grazot said as he pointed to the melted M-103. "Look at the detail…The Smith who crafted it must have spent months perfecting it." To the amazement of Magistrate Ndola, Grazot had actually figured out how to dismantle and reassemble a couple of the working parts of the pistol. However, the gorilla's fingers were too big to fit between trigger and the guard.

"Captain Gondar!" Grazot yelled. "Cover those up please, Magistrate"

A few seconds later Gondar entered the room "Yes Sir?" he said looking at the general inquisitively.

"Find me your best sharpshooter, one of the younger soldiers…with small paws. And set up a target. Use a melon or large gourd as the objective. Put it out about 50 to 60 feet." Grazot Ordered.

"S-Small paws, …Sir…" Gondar asked?

"YES! Just do what I ask." Grazot said as he pushed him out the door.

"General, I don't think…" Ndola started to say but was promptly cut off.

"Trust me, Magistrate. I don't give a damn about politics or history but when it comes to matters of combat, you're in my backyard. We need to stop looking at these humans as "beasts or animals" and more as the threat they are. … Specifically, as a _superior_ threat, Magistrate! They are what they are and they possess what they possess. They may have been created with some sort of mysterious intellectual incite but the ape is not without his own unique gifts. The great ape was with us in the past and he'll guide us this time, as well. Now, I aim to see just what this thing can do. And if we can duplicate it somehow or improve on our own weaponry, we may even the battlefield in our favor." Grazot said as he walked out the door. Ndola followed, as he heard the general screaming for his captain. He shook his head and though to himself: _This is exactly what we didn't want to happen. I must inform the Lord Prefect. _


	5. Chapter 5: The Island

**A small island on the Great Fish Pond **

_Tdddd_ and _whoosh_ were all two astronauts heard before a huge net engulfed them. March involuntarily pulled the trigger of his weapon, firing a stray round into the air. Fortunately he didn't hit his collogue. The net twisted as each of the men tried to gain leverage. It was old and weathered but was still strong enough to support their weight. They both heard rustling below but couldn't make out who or what it was.

"_Ambushed! Damn it! And I walked us right into it_! Hayes muttered. "We must be 30 feet high. Can you pop smoke, Tom? I think I can get my knife and maybe..." he never finished his sentence. There was a mild sting and then he drifted off into nothingness.

When he awoke he had a terrible headache. He was also having trouble focusing and using basic motor skills. The fact that he was tied up didn't make things easier. He was trying to stay as comfortable as he could when he felt nausea creeping in.

March was still out cold and curled up several feet away. Their weapons and gear were gone. Hayes couldn't hold it back any longer and vomited in a messy spasm. Despite the mess he actually felt some relief as the poison was ejected from his system.

"One of them is waking up, Amie." A female voice said.

"Give him some water and move him out of that mess, but be careful." An older voice said. It was English but slightly accented… The word, French popped into his head.

Hayes had a hard time focusing on the person approaching him. …No, not a person; A bloody chimpanzee. The primate picked him up off the floor as easily as mother scooping up a baby. "Easy now." The chimp said as she wiped spittle off his face. "You'll feel fine in an hour or so. Here, drink this."

Hayes took a couple of gulps remaining silent. He mechanically scanned the surrounding area making mental notes, though he was still very groggy. He was outside an old cabin. It looked pretty big though. They were deep in the forest too. There were trees all over. His vision was clearing a bit and he could vaguely make out the old man sitting in a chair. He was cooking something that smelled like beef on a makeshift grill. _Old 'man'_. He thought. _A human being_.

"Hungry?" the older voice said. "No. Probably not right now anyway. That's strong stuff we hit you with. But like Madera said, you'll feel better shortly."

When Hayes finally spoke up, his voice was raspy and he felt the urge to cough. He was relieved to simply get the words out without the queasiness rising in his gut.

"Wh-Who are you…_people_?" he said as Madera turned to him with a cross face.

"My name is Amie Charlot and I will ask the questions here, young man! And please do not mistake our hospitality for weakness. Because I can assure you that if you show the slightest bit of hostility, I'll feed you to Madera here for dinner. So I'll ask you; who are you and just what the hell are you doing here? What was that contraption you dropped from? And don't tell me you're here for Holiday because your demeanor and equipment state quite the opposite!" Amie said.

'_Here for Holiday…?' He's certainly of French decent. That name, Ah-mey Shar-leh, as he pronounced it: A Quebecer probably. And he pronounced it with all the finesse and pomposity of any Frenchmen I've ever met._ Hayes pondered.

"Jon Hayes; Captain; United States Air Force; Serial Number: Three oh five one seven two…" Hayes paused in mid sentence as he noticed the look on the old man's face.

"United…? What is an air force? Look son, you'd better wise up fast. I've lived my whole life on this island. I was born here. I buried my parents, my wife, and even my daughter, God rest her tiny soul. …All right here." Amie said as pointing sharply towards the ground. "Other than Madera I have nothing much else I care for. So I will ask you one last time and if you feed me any more riddles …" Amie grabbed a crude old crossbow and aimed it at the head of Hayes.

Hayes had been taken prisoner once before by the Syrians. It hadn't lasted long but compared to that situation this might as well be a vacation at the Hilton. This old nut is…nuts, he thought to himself. Looking at the crossbow bold just inches away, he almost wished it would strike and end his nightmare. He was still unsteady from the drug but was not at all afraid to die. Suddenly something dawned on him. It was Tom. Tom would need his help if they were ever going to sort out this mess, and God willing, make it home again. Tom had two sons and a daughter and had just become a grandfather last year. So Hayes blurted out the first thing that came into his head. "Ok Amie, take it easy…My name is Jon… Jon Hayes. I um, come from, uh, south of here…" which wasn't exactly a lie since he'd grown up in Michigan "…Listen, could I, uh, have so more of that water?" Hayes added, hoping to buy some time.

Amie stared at Hayes for about 30 seconds studying the astronaut's face. The man looked sincere enough but was hiding something. Amie was old and 'not long for this world'. Although he had no idea of it, he was a little over 82. His heart was weak and the recent excitement hadn't helped it any. Despite all of that, he had no desire to depart this world any sooner than God wanted him to. Though his body was slowing with age, his mind was still as sharp as it had ever been. He wasn't about to be outwitted by this or any man. Amie was not a murderer but he had no objections to killing in self-defense. His instincts were saying: Just pull the trigger and be done with them. But he paused when Hayes added this; "…I buried my wife too." The way the words came out touched something deep within Amie's soul. There was a genuine sadness in their nature.

Amie lowered the crossbow and signaled for Madera to give the man more water. The chimp propped up Jon's head and gave him another few gulps. "Thank you…uh, Madera." He said clearing his throat.

"That thing you saw in the sky was our …um, ship..." Hayes explained the basic points of their adventure so far. He didn't get into the AU theory or time travel believing that would surely get the old man worked up. Hell, he was even having difficulties with it and he had evidence on his side. Hayes just talked of home, escaping the apes, getting lost and finally ending up here.

"…And those weapons are for defense. We ended up here because we thought it would be a safe place to regroup." Hayes stated in conclusion. "…We don't want anything except to, I don't know, get home again."

They spent the night bound from head to foot. Amie was 'kind' enough to untie them both, shortly, so they could _use the facilities_. He untied them one at a time, keeping a crossbow to the others head. He claimed he'd shoot if either tried to make a run for it. They were also provided a meal, if you could call it that. Madera spoon fed them both since Amie was not about to leave them untied. Neither had much of an appetite anyway. That drug they'd been hit with still made their stomachs cramp.

Tom March was questioned separately. Their stories matched but that didn't necessarily convince Amie that they weren't still lying. They could have cohobated these colorful tales before they'd invaded his home. Their equipment was like nothing he'd seen. He'd decide what was to be done with them later. For now he was just too tired. And with that thought Amie drifted off into a deep sleep.

Their 'cell' looked like an ancient shed. Some of the wooden boards looked refurbished while others looked older than Methuselah. _You gotta be kidding me?_ He thought. _My Grandmother could bust out of here. _

"Tom?" Hayes whispered. "Can you stand?"

"I don't think so Jonny. I'm still a bit light headed" March replied plainly.

March was almost twice Hayes's age. The drug they'd been shot with had taken a much worse toll on his body than that of young Mister Hayes. His head was no longer pounding thanks to the food he'd gotten…which had been preceded an hour earlier with vomiting. However, March's vision and motor skills were still only at about 80%. A special mix of snake and spider venom was what Amie claimed it was. In its strongest form it could even take out Madera here and would probably kill you or me. He'd declared.

"Keep your voice down. I have an idea. Lay down with your back to mine and extend your arms as far back as they'll go." Hayes instructed.

The two men crouched down back to back. It took about 15 minutes but Hayes was able to untie March's ropes just enough for him to get his hands free. March twisted his wrists as they cracked and let the blood flow through his hands. He loosened the ropes on his feet and untied Hayes. March's body was cramped and stiff. He wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath and sleep for 12 hours. Of course, that wasn't likely.

It was dark inside the shed but rays of moonlight were shining slightly between two beams on the opposite end of the shed. They could hear Amie snoring away in his chair but both of them wondered where Madera was. March cleared his head as best as he could and looked around their prison.

"This place doesn't look like it could keep a girl scout locked up for long. They're baiting us, Jonny" March whispered.

"I don't know, Tom, look around." He answered. "Everything we've seen looks run down. Even those ropes look aged. I'm betting that this was all they had available. They're not exactly running San Francisco Federal Prison. I say we get out and look for our weapons. If we can secure them then we'll be in a position to ask the questions."

"Ok, I hear _Tarzan_ buzzing away but we need to make sure _Chita_ isn't waiting out there. Even at our best we'd be in no position to tackle her head on." March whispered back.

Making as little sound as possible the two men loosened a couple of the rotting boards and slipped through. They hesitated for a few seconds letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. The moon was only in the first quarter. It provided a small amount of light but the trees in the area made it seem darker than it actually was.

They instinctively rubbed dirt on their pale faces to diminish any distinct features. It wasn't a perfect camouflage but served its purpose. March used a series of hand and arm signals and the two men slipped out into the darkness.

As they approached the cabin they could see Amie fast asleep in his chair. The crossbow was sitting on an old table in front of him. If they could get to it without waking him they'd be one step closer to getting their equipment back. March gave Jon a soft tap and pointed to large tree above the cabin. There sat Madera, about 50 feet high, munching away on some leaves. _Great!_ Hayes thought to himself.

The two men had trained for three long years for this mission. They both had genuine combat experience, as well. So when it came to military tactics in the field things were second nature. They employed what was dubbed; 50% Security. One man would rest while the other stayed awake. They were going to wait it out. As soon as the chip was asleep they'd move in and get the crossbow. It didn't matter if it took half the night either. Both men had learned that patience, in these situations, was the key to success…and survival. "I just hope she doesn't decide to check up on us" March whispered quietly.

"If she does we'll lay low. Once they move away from the cabin we'll hide inside. Our gear has to be in there somewhere." March continued on.

About an hour and a half later Madera finally nuzzled herself to sleep in the tree. Hayes waited an additional twenty minutes, just to be sure she was down, before he woke up March. He covered the March's mouth and gave him a gentle nudge. March jerked awake and involuntarily muffled a four letter word. As his senses came back he heard Hayes jokingly whisper "Cover me" as he handed him a rock. _Very funny_, March thought to himself.

Hayes crawled slowly towards the table constantly glancing towards the tree and Amie. Just a little closer, he said to himself when he abruptly stopped. It couldn't be, he thought focusing a little harder. There it was. A 9mm pistol parked right next to the crossbow. _Amie's curiosity must have gotten the better of him… _Hayes concluded in his head.

He crept closer to the table as his adrenal glands began to kick in. He could feel his heart pounding faster and faster. No matter how many times he took these kinds of chances, he was never able to shake the angst that always accompanied it.

More of the moon light was shining down as he approached the cabin. The closer he got the fewer trees he had for cover. A rushing breeze crossed his path as rustled leaves flapped rapidly in the air. He took another look up. From his current viewpoint he could no longer see Madera. He was now less than 10 feet away. Drops of sweat began to build on his forehead, despite the rushing wind. Amie was fast asleep. _Ok, here goes_ he thought.

Hayes was off the ground now but still crouched low when he heard something whipping through the trees, off to his right. A soft _thud, thud_ ended the brisk noise. He caught a glimpse of Madera making her way towards the sound as she leapt to a nearby tree.

Unknown to Hayes, March had tossed a few rocks away from the direction of the cabin. The rustling wind had woken Madera.

_I gotta move right now_ Hayes concluded. He darted towards the table, crackling twigs and leaves as he ran. Madera turned her head and noticed the man running towards Amie. "They're loose." She said in confusion. Madera was fast and exceptionally agile, in the trees, but there was no way she could make it down to Hayes in time. Instinctively she shouted, "Amie!", but it was too late.

Amie was simply too old to match Hayes's stream. Hayes grabbed the pistol and pushed the crossbow to the floor. It was so aged that it broke into several pieces. Before Amie could even regain his sense Hayes shouted; "Get down here, Madera …NOW or so help me I'll splatter his head from one end of this table to the other."

Madera had no idea how he could splatter Amie's head but she did remember the stories her parents told her, about _human magic_, when she was a child. She loved Amie like he was her father. Madera was no soldier. She was shocked and unsure of how to act in response. She'd worked the Great Fish Pond as a youth. Almost 28 years ago, during a huge storm her vessel capsized. Every ape but her had drown. She hated …and feared the water but it paid her enough to support her parents. Most Apes could not swim and sank instantly to the bottom. Somehow she'd managed to attach herself to part of the floating debris. She'd floated for who knows how long before Amie and his wife rescued her. …The shouts of Hayes jolted out of her dazed recollections.

"I said NOW, Madera! Don't screw with me or so help me…" Hayes shouted even louder.

"Ok, Ok. I'm coming. Please don't hurt him." She said as tears began to build. With the finesse of a dove, Madera used all four of her hands and worked her way to the ground.

"Come on out Tom…" he said as Amie started to flinch and complain about the grip Hayes had on his shoulder. "…And you stay put old man and shut that non-stop trap of yours" Hayes added firmly, as he grabbed Amie's arm and sat the man back down.

The three humans and the chimp were now together on the ground. March had ordered Hayes to move their two prisoners to an "L" shaped wall of the cabin, for better security. "Give me the 9mm, Jonny and go inside and see if you can find the rest of our gear. I'm going to have a heart to heart with our …Hosts." March said. He turned his attention to the Chimp who he could tell was mulling over the thought of jumping right on top of him. "…Take it easy, Madera. I know what you're capable of. This little peashooter here might not stop you, but it will blow Mr. _Char-lots_ head clean off his shoulders and at this range it will bring a load of hurt to you as well".

"Now believe it or not Amie, you and your little island paradise mean nothing to us. What we said earlier was true; we were simply trying to escape those apes and ended up here. I haven't bathed, slept or eaten a decent meal in what seems like forever but I can tell you this I don't aim to spend my days sitting here tied up while Madera spoon feeds me that rat stew you cook and you decide if we can be trusted or not."

A few minutes later Hayes appeared carrying two rucksacks and some equipment. He laid it down on the table and handed March an M-103. March took the weapon and holstered the 9mm. "It's all here Tom. What do we do about them?" Hayes asked.

"Good question. We could let them go and move out but if they came after us, I think another shot of that jungle juice would kill me. Maybe we ought to find some of it and return the favor." March said. But he was only bluffing.

"Please just go. We won't bother you. The excitement isn't good for Amie…" Madera said softly rubbing Amie's head gently. March noticed she was positioned slightly between his weapon and Amie, like a bear protecting a cub. These two were no threat. An old man and a female chimpanzee… He falls asleep with a loaded weapon and she runs off to eat…

"Tom, look at Amie." Hayes said.

March suddenly realized, that for a man who would not shut up, Amie hadn't said much of anything since the two of them had made their stand. He was sitting on the ground shivering and holding his chest. And he did not look well at all.

"I think he's experiencing some sort of angina or worse, having a heart attack." Hayes continued stepping towards without even realizing it. Madera tensed up and stood between the two men. "Don't touch him, human!" she growled. Hayes raised the M-103 at her.

_Human_? Now there was a side of her neither had witnessed. There was genuine concern and desperation in the tone. The ape loved the old man enough to put her life on the line for his.

Enough was enough as far as March was concerned. He wasn't about to shoot a sickly old man and his … talking pet. Just as he'd concluded earlier, these two were no threat. A waste of ammunition…limited ammunition. "Lower your rifle, Jon", he ordered.

"Listen Madera, I can help him." He said as he laid the weapon on the table and opened both his arms, palms up.

"I said, don't touch him… just leave him be. It will pass shortly." She snapped back, this time in a more protective tone.

"Madera, I can help! Let me try. I'm no doctor but I can ease his pain. …You don't want to see him die there, do you?" March said as convincingly as he could.

Madera looked down at Amie who nodded, with difficulty. "Ok…" muttered quietly and slowly stepped aside.

"Madera, help him get in that chair and try and make him comfortable." Hayes said.

"Jon, grab a med kit and see if there's any aspirin. See if we have a flashlight as well. I can't see a damn thing out here. Madera we'll need some water too."

Madera left and quickly returned with a mug of water. She laid it down next to March. She didn't seem to be the slightest bit curious about the object Hayes had that was dispensing light on Amie's pale features. That surprised Hayes slightly.

March popped two aspirin into Amie's mouth and gave him a little water to drink. Hayes wrapped Amie in a wool blanket he unrolled from a rucksack. He poured the rest of the water into a bowl and dipped a rag in it. Next he blotted the cool, wet cloth on his forehead. In a few minutes color came back to Amie's face and he motioned for more to drink.

"Try this," March said handing him a piece of dehydrated beef from an MRE. (*Meal Ready to Eat) . "You'll need something in your stomach."

Madera had gone to the table and picked up one of the M-103s. She pointed it towards the astronauts, not realizing how pointless it was if your finger wasn't on the trigger. March glanced at Hayes and chuckled. Before anyone could react Amie broke in and said; "No Madera, put it down and help me to bed please. Let them go if they wish. If they'd wanted us dead, we would be. And the way I feel, come morning, I just might be."


	6. Chapter 6: Plans Are Made

**Arum City**

The soldier held the odd looking weapon exactly as he'd been instructed. It was like no other flint locking mechanism he'd ever seen. He was extremely nervous as the eye of every ape soldier was fixed squarely on him…including the General and Magistrate Ndola. His target wasn't all that far but the thing he held felt awkward, making him wonder if he could actually hit it.

"Get on with it, Gondar!" Grazot barked out.

"General…" Ndola interrupted, "please reconsider. This course of action will only…"

"Please sir, step over here. I would not want you to be inadvertently injured. You're much too valuable," General Grazot said respectfully. Although he was actually being more patronizing, than courteous.

"Ok Sir, we're ready." Captain Gondar replied as he turned to the sharpshooter. "Alright Vold, hold it like you were instructed and fire the pistol at the target I've set up." Then he whispered; "…_And make sure you don't miss or the next thing on that stump might be you or me_."

The makeshift target range was reinforced with some old wooden planks and was set up about 10 feet from the side of a hill. That was approximately 50 feet from the shooter and seemed like an ideal place for safety. It also allowed for a clear view specifically designed for the General and the Magistrate.

Vold eyed his target. On a wooden stump sat a huge pumpkin. It was the largest that Gondar could find on such short notice. It measured about 3 & ½' high and just about 4' wide. Next, Sharpshooter Vold aimed the pistol and squeezed the trigger. He felt the power and force of the weapon as it tugged slightly, but being a great deal stronger than a human, there was no lift. His ears, however, were a different story. They were as fragile as that of any human. The weapon was significantly louder than the muskets he was used to firing. The deafening sound made him jump, embarrassing him slightly. It also startled several of the horses, causing them to throw their riders and dart off in a panic. Groups of birds perched in nearby trees took flight, as well, 'cawing' as they flew off in fear.

Within the blink of an eye, the 9mm slug sailed through the air and hit its objective just below center mass. Of course, where it hit didn't matter. What did was the result. The oversized piece of fruit exploded into a thousand pieces. The bullet then punched through the wooden backdrop, spraying chunks of wood as it knocked its way through, until it finally disappeared into the hillside with a _poof_.

…_Damn incredible!_ General Grazot thought to himself. _It releases no smoke when fired, despite the force._ _I've got to have more of these!_

Captain Gondar went to the target…or what was left of it… and held up the ripped and splintered wooden sheet. The gorillas who were not running down horses cheered, holding their muskets high above their heads. Others beat their chests and roared like their ancestors who roamed the jungles centuries earlier.

The only one not cheering was Ndola. Grazot recognized the look on his face too. The snake had just been introduced to Ndola's paradise. He also realized that …_for now_… Ndola was his superior. Grazot was no politician but thought this might be as good a time as any to learn the trade. If the Magistrate wasn't on board with his plan, it would dry up before it ever took root. Grazot had been overly aggressive with Ndola but he had to be. He needed to see firsthand what these _weapons of wonder_ were capable of. …And now that he had, it was time to clean up the collateral damage.

"Secure that pistol Captain and bring it to me" Grazot ordered. "Give Vold the rest of the day off and let him …do whatever he pleases. Then dismiss the detachment and return them to their daily duties." Gondar saluted, returned the pistol and turned the detachment over to their individual leaders. He slapped Vold on the back and muttered something about joining the ape for a quick nip.

"Magistrate, a word please," Grazot said as he stepped into his new, _political role_. "I apologize if I appeared to overstep my authority. I can assure you it was only done to properly asses the coming threat and prepare for a way to neutralize it. The safety of our society and way of life is nothing to be trifled with."

"_Appeared_ _to overstep_, General? You ignored and deliberately undercut my authority. And you did it several times …dismissing my concerns. You took a weapon designed by barbarians and flaunted it in front of a pack of bloodthirsty soldiers. This is not your private crusade, General Grazot. Just how do we explain a leap in know-how like this? Maybe you'd like be Magistrate, eh? Maybe you could invite the humans in for tea and undo over a hundred years of progress…As they slit our throats!" Ndola responded in his usual, hot-tempered, and sarcastic tone.

He then paused; looked around, making sure they were alone. Once he confirmed it was just the two of them, he went on. Pointing his finger in the general's chest, he clinched his teeth and added; "I have to dispatch a report to Prefect Sullen tomorrow. Perhaps you ought to carry that message yourself…AS A CORPORAL."

Grazot laughed quietly. "I think my wife beat you to that one, Magistrate." Ndola's expression remained the same. Both apes knew it was an idol threat but Grazot got the meaning between the lines. The Magistrate and Prefect were old, old friends. They both considered the presence of humans to be detrimental to everything they'd built. If Ndola pushed it, the General could be removed from his position as commander of the Western Ape Contingent. And if Grazot pressed any further, he'd probably do it too.

Realizing that, the general let Ndola vent a second or two longer hoping he'd cool off a bit. A few seconds later a natural pause in the conversion hit. Grazot used the opportunity to twist Ndola's own words against him. "Magistrate, did you not advise me not to be too concerned with …_the masses_? That in time they'll believe anything? My soldiers will accept any explanation I give them without question. They're good, loyal apes; all of them. We can tell them that this is the predecessor to a new experimental weapon being worked on. That it was brought here to be tested on any rogue humans that might crawl out of their cracks."

The general took out his flintlock pistol. He held it in his hand comparing it to the 9 mm and went on holding up each one as he made his point. "…_This_ pistol here is no match for _this one_. That pumpkin shattered as easily as a child crushing an egg. Not only that, but it also cut through the wooden supports like they were paper. One musket ball might stop a human but one shot from _this_ could remove an ape's head clear off his shoulder …and continue on to the soldier behind him. We might wound or kill one. However, they could double or even triple that in a single shot. …Magistrate, it has repeating capabilities, as well. It's also smokeless when fired. We have to stop and reload with each shot…And this is just a pistol. Their rifles could probably cut 50 apes in two before they even knew what happened. Who knows Magistrate, if their pistols penetrate wood, their rifles probably cut through stone."

"That is exactly why they must be stopped. No creature should command such unchecked power. You should not be flirting with it, General Grazot and you should not flaunt their machinery about giving credence to rumors. That's like sparking flint in a dry forest!" Ndola declared.

"Rumors…Are there Humans or are there not? That is the topic on every apes mind, isn't it? So why not give them their _human_, Magistrate?" Grazot stated plainly. "Show them the charred corpse. Remind them that we purged the disease once and can do it again. Give them a few dead humans and put this thing to rest".

For the first time in his life, Ndola was thinking that he may have underestimated the gorilla. His plan actually carried a level of credibility. He paused, regaining a little composure. Then scratching his chin, he said; "Give them their human, eh. That just might work. We could take one from the zoo and have it sent here. You could kill it and we can concoct any tale we wish. _The humans entered the city at night looking for food. They set the black powder stores ablaze. Half the city caught fire… most were killed in the explosion that blew high into the sky..._ That's brilliant, General. It would explain the fire, the presence of humans, and even the flash of fire into the sky…all of it could be explained by killing a human and displaying its burnt carcass."

"I believe it would at that, Magistrate. We then claim that the detachment was sent to help restore civil and economic order and we discovered the human nest as we patrolled the area outside of Arum." Grazot added.

"Ok General, we'll hold off on your transition to corporal…for now." Ndola said in sarcasm. "I'll personally deliver the report to Sullen. If he agrees with our plan, I'll escort a human or two back here and we'll put our plan into effect."

'_Our' plan_, Grazot thought as held back a small grin. _I pulled it off, after all. _

"Now…" Ndola went on, shifting to the real issue at hand. "…the whole premise of this fairy-tale depends on finding these other humans, forcing them to reveal the whereabouts of their tribe and then exterminating them. And I mean ALL of them. We've sent and received messages from every settlement within the area. There have been no _fugitive_ sightings …as we put it to them. They either drown in the Fish Pond, which is doubtful, or more likely, made it to one of the land masses within. While I'm gone, I need you to determine where the most likely place is that they may have landed. We'll need to secure a craft and volunteers…"

"A craft?" Grazot broken in. "You don't seriously suggest we attempt to traverse the Pond? That's guaranteed suicide. I will not …"

"You will not, _what_, General Grazot?" Ndola trumped in. "You're making it a habit of dictating directives to me. I sit on the Council, General. Has that fact escaped your mind? I am their mouthpiece, their delegate, not you. And I am particularly aware of the, _coming threat_, as you so colorfully put it. I've studied it, read their books, and peered into their blood stained history. I don't see it as a chance for power but as a pestilence. I will not let our great society fall into a pit of vipers. So you _will _find the land mass they escaped to, you _will_ obtain a boat and you _will _have a squad of soldiers ready to leave when I return! And if you do not, general then I'll have Colonel Mikos replace you immediately. Am I clear on this General?"

"You are, Sir. I'll get on it at once, Magistrate" Grazot replied realizing it was now time to return to the happy subordinate.

"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me I have preparations to make." And with that, Ndola confiscated the 9 mm pistol and walked off towards his command post.

The chastising and threats from the Magistrate did not deter or fluster Grazot. He was a soldier and that meant both giving and taking orders. Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow. It's just how it was. However, being a soldier also meant not letting _the enemy_ dictate the terms of battle. He was going to find these humans alright but he was going to do it his way.

But how? No ape in his right mind would willingly negotiate the waters of the Pond. Working with it and in it was a two edged sword. The Great Fish Pond provided an abundant source of food; Food essential to the survival of the simian nation. But any Ape who was unlucky enough to fall into its cold clutch instantly sank to a dark, wet grave. However, there are those that would do anything for a price. Jobs on the Great Fish Pond paid well.

Apes who climbed in boats did not venture far and only negotiated the deep during emergencies. The apes had built a series of secure docks and primitive mechanical fishing apparatuses, using nets and fenced in hatcheries. Years earlier they tried to build ships and fish in the deep waters but too many deaths had occurred.

Grazot could order gorillas into a boat…and they'd do it too. However, all it would take is for one of them to panic and the whole lot of them could sink like a boulder. That was when an idea leaped into his head. The humans were isolated; Stuck out there in the middle of The Pond. If he could get to them he'd have all the time he needed. Ndola wouldn't dare follow him.

Grazot never had any intentions of killing the humans as the Magistrate ordered. Not immediately, anyway. He was going to capture them and their weapons. The human Smiths were going to teach him how to craft more. Their foot soldiers were going to teach his how to use them. Once that was done he would arm every gorilla in his command and declare martial law. He knew General Zuglanus thought as he did. Once he witnessed this power he'd be on board but Supreme General Narr might need some…persuading. He followed orders and did his job meticulously. He was _no respecter of Ape_. He'd served the campaigns that had untied the territories and when it came to tactics, the cost of lives, meant nothing to him; the end justified the means. But those were details that would be worked out later.

He needed dependable soldiers and a reliable boat. Finding an experienced ape to navigate the craft could be difficult but there had to be a few that maintained the Pond's hatcheries. Hopefully he could be bribed one into rowing out to sea.

He ordered his operations officer, Colonel Mikos to ride to the food dispensaries to the north with the instructions Ndola had given him. He then pulled out the leather territorial map, the intelligence reports, and set about to find where the humans could have escaped to. That night he retrieved the pistol from the Magistrate's 'locked' chest as his belongings were loaded on his wagon. He was going to need it once he found his new …_Allies. _He was sure that once the magistrate discovered it was gone, his career was going to take a sharp turn downward.

**Kawaka City **

Perfect Sullen scratched his head and looked his elderly friend directly in the eye. "…And you trust General Grazot then? He's never shown a lust for power. Of course he possesses quite a bit of it already."

"I think I've underestimated the General's tenacity. He's a leader of Apes and has proven himself to be quite capable, but I sense a lust for power from within. All of it sparked once he saw that pistol. The human disease is strong. I shutter to think what might happen if he ever learned to master those human tools. Any Ape with that kind of strength behind him could dominate our society with ease. And you should have seen the weapon, Sullen. It cut through its objective like a knife though butter…and the next object as well. …And the sound it made… It was ear shattering. I've seen the books, read the stories, looked at the pictures but to actually witness it personally was astonishing. Defeating them those many years ago was obviously an act of mercy from the great ape above." Ndola replied.

"However, his plan of providing a dead human for the people to gaze on would allow us to control the rumors. We could use it maneuver things in our favor." Ndola went on.

He poured himself a cup of tea and changed the subject, "…And what of the other campaigns? Have Generals Narr and Zuglanus reported anything unusual?"

"General Zuglanus returned from Kuo province a day ago. Things could not be more boring, which suits me fine. General Narr has been sent back to the ancient ruins with a full contingent at his command. He is under strict orders to stop …_here_…" the prefect said as he pointed to a spot on an old map he'd kept. "…From there he'll take a scouting platoon and go into these ruins. If they find so much as a patch of human fir fallen from its head he is to take the entire contingent and kill every human there; man, woman and child. He is to destroy their machinery and utterly burn their lair."

"This is getting messy old friend. Too many apes could become aware of things they should not." Ndola interjected.

"That is the enigma. We cannot allow our society to be poisoned with human influences, no matter how wondrously advantageous they may seem. Discreetly get your humans and return to Arum. If General Grazot survives his journey through the Fish Pond he is to return here without delay. But those humans must be forced to reveal their lair and then killed immediately" Prefect Sullen concluded.

"…_Poisoned with human influences_… haven't we been doing that for years, Sullen?" Ndola asked. "The musket, our use with metals, black powder, glass, even medicine. It's all from those books your grandfather brought. Yes, we have to defend ourselves but at what point do we cross a line we can never return from? We're even breeding and studying them."

"…As I said, my friend…an enigma." Sullen answered. "Come, I'll escort you home. Get some rest and you can head out in the morning."


	7. Chapter 7: Discoveries

**The waters of the Great Fish Pond – Several days later**

He'd left just in time. If they'd been delayed much longer the Magistrate would have returned and stepped on the general's aspirations. The rain had delayed their trip nearly three days, but today, the hot summer sun was blazing away.

The Ape crew, navigating the boat, were all first-rate at their trade. They had to be since their lives depended on it. They'd established a means of using the wind to pilot them through the waters. Large, sown together, skins caught the gusts, propelling the ship forward at an unsettling speed; a method more efficient than rowing, Grazot concluded. A small flap in the back guided the vessel back and forth through the choppy water. The ride, if you wanted to call it that, was making all of the apes sick as they held on for dear life. The spray from The Pond made them want to heave each time it slapped their furry hides.

The three sea-apes had been bribed handsomely. Each had insisted on being paid upfront. What good was the promise gold if you were dead? It was a decision wiser than they realized since today would be their last day on the planet. They were all young, family apes and if they were going to die at least their wives and children would mourn in comfort.

Grazot was feeling queasy and not hiding it very well. It was going to be a long ride. He thanked the great ape that the weather was calm, even if the water wasn't. Grazot was accompanied by Captain Gondar and five ape soldiers: A corporal and four foot-apes. The soldiers were all young. They were somewhat experienced but without _baggage_. They had been promised 30 days leave and a free visit to the brothel west of Arum…if they returned successfully.

Young minds were easy to manipulate. They took orders at face value and usually didn't come with, a lot of _history_. No children or wives to preoccupy their thoughts; Just an adolescent loyalty to the _greater good_. They were expendable and if they survived they'd be better soldiers for it. It was a win-win in Grazot's mind. …In addition to that, they were more likely to go along with his plan. The older and more experienced veterans would not obey so blindly.

Within 30 minutes half of the apes had thrown up their breakfast in one form or another. One even joked about the others throwing him overboard. The apes navigating still seemed very much at ease with the instability of the sea. They all had ropes around their waists incase they fell overboard. The thought of getting wet was bad enough but the alternative was much worse.

"Fell in once during a storm; Let me tell you, if you don't have religion, that experience will burn it into your soul." One of the Chimps said a foot-ape.

"H…how much l-lo-onger?" the young gorilla asked as more of his meal left his stomach and spilled into the lake.

"Hard to tell; Maybe an hour or so." The sea-ape answered as he pulled down hard on sail to catch the next gust of air.

General Grazot had a good idea where the humans were hiding. …Well, he hoped so anyway. All of the intelligence reports stated that _the fugitives_ had been spotted south of a large land mass on the western part of the sea. It was miles away from shore. The next land mass was days from there, but who could tell. These humans were as resourceful as the great ape himself. They could be anywhere.

Grazot was convinced that if the sea didn't kill him, the trip through it would. He would have had himself and the squad sedated but the thought of being in a boat unconscious brought on too much anxiety. He wished that the young foot ape would shut his mouth but did not share it with the group. His military bearing and discipline wouldn't allow it. He didn't know what was worse; the rancid smell of half digested food or the constant rocking of the boat.

Things were what they were and for now he'd simply have to wait it out. He tried to shut his eyes but it didn't seem to help his unsettled stomach at all.

**The Island**

Tom March picked up the odd looking …_pad_. It was weathered, but still seemed to be functional. Amie claimed it was a diary his grandfather had kept. It was years beyond anything he'd ever laid eyes on. It had to contain some kind of _hyper-battery_ to still be working after all this time. It was at least 200 years old, he figured. _It's so thin_, he thought.

He tapped the pad as a picture of an office folder, labeled; _Log Entries _come into view. He touched the folder icon and several paper document icons filled the screen. He randomly touched one…

06524-Error: File Corrupted, displayed in red letters surrounded by gray box.

"Figures" he said cynically. "Amie told me it was old."

He tapped several of the icons. Quite a number of them displayed the same error message. …until one _page_ finally opened;

Le 17 décembre, 2417 - Ce qui est quitté de l'Alliance Nord-américaine se désintègre. Le mouvement du nord n'a pas résolu une grande partie de n'importe quoi non plus. La Loi martiale échoue. Le territoire est surtout humain, mais il y a plus de réfugiés que les soldats. C'est le froid de loup mais pendant la lumière du jour nous sommes en mesure de …

_French? Oh for crying out loud... damn it, _Marchmumbled. _Where did Amie say the translation was?_ He fumbled for a minute longer then located the TRANSLATE panel. He moved his finger over the button as a drop down box appeared and allowed him to select; _French-English Translator_

Dec 17, 2417 - What's left of the North American Alliance is falling apart. Moving north has not solved much of anything either. Martial Law is failing. The territory is mostly human but there are more refugees than soldiers. It's bitter cold but during daylight we are able to…

He mistakenly tapped it again as he involuntarily rubbed his thumb on the smooth pad…

Mar 23, 2418 – Rafael is dead. That leaves 7 adults in the group. Apes have infested the territory and are hunting humans without mercy. Their weapons are primitive but they out number us 50 to 1. We have been traveling west in hopes to make it to Gracefield. Rosemarie claims there is fairy there that can airlift us to Ontario. It will cost us most of our food but if we stay here we'll surely die. My children are terrified and hungry but Rose is very good with them. Hopefully the Alliance will be more organized in Ontario.

Mar 24, 2418 – The roads are scattered with refugees. People are traveling in groups to stay safe from bandits and apes. Our genetic experiments have destroyed everything we've built…

He tapped it again, this time intentionally…

May 6, 2418 – Rumors from travelers' state, there was a nuclear attack aimed at eastern parts of United States and Canadian. The eastern seaboard is reported radiated with massive amounts of fallout. Washington is said to be riddled with disease affecting both man and simian. If the ceasefire with the Euro-Islamic Union failed it won't matter where we're airlifted to…

_Euro-Islamic Union? …_March muttered as his eyes wandered a bit…_Where was I?_

... it won't matter where we're airlifted to. We hope to reach Gracefield by the end of the week. I haven't eaten in two days in hopes that there will be enough food to buy us passage.

Out of curiosity he tapped the last entry, hoping it was not corrupted.

Sep 15, 2422 – This will be my last entry as I close one chapter of my life to start another. We've been here for over two and half years now with hardly sign or word from the outside world. That is, if there's anything left of it. Only two families survived our journey and I am happy to say that my second grandchild will be born shortly. May, he or she grow up in peace and safety.

Jeanette is sick and probably won't last much longer. Corber has been at her side but we just don't have the medical provisions to keep her going. When she passes that will be the 4th addition to the graveyard since our arrival.

The HOLO-NEWS Link is filled with colored static these days. The last report is over 8 months old. The E.I.U continues to wage its holy jihad on each side and soon will collapse in on itself. Contact with Ottawa has never been established. I can only assume it's in ruin, like Washington.

Supply drops from the UK en route to DC were vaporized over the ocean. Rioting and fighting been the British citizens and their ape soldiers are increasing, just as they did here and in the US and Mexico. London is in chaos. Paris was hit with a second nuclear barrage in its attempt to neutralize the growing ape threat. Every generation of ape seems more advanced and aggressive than the previous. It was a mistake playing with Micro DNA manipulation and GENO Tech enhancements to create our "perfect soldiers". Instead of saving humanity we only helped to speed up its demise.

There is a lot to do with winter approaching. We've been gathering food and water for when the snow hits. There are deer and wild boar here and we've revived the garden. We are without a skilled physician and on our own.

My family and I will live our lives out on this island in stillness & quiet, as best as we can. The nuclear arrays contain enough power for centuries of use. Corber and I have automated the feed to the old Franklin mansion. The weather station and emergency control equipment have been modified to pull Satellite Intel. I hope that humanity survives long enough find a way to rebuild itself just as we have.

"Nuclear Array…" March muttered as he read the last few lines.

A crash of thunder startled March as he noticed the rain outside getting worse. He laid the pad aside and sat down looking around the quaint _shack_. Shack was an understatement. The place was enormous. In its prime, it must have belonged to someone with money; and a lot of it at that. Age was showing on some parts but it was still fairly solid after all of this time.

Out the window just beyond some shrubs he could see the grave markers. Amie's family was buried there, including the small grave of his only child. She'd fallen sick as a baby and had died before she was even a year old. March instantly thought back to when his children were young and shook his head. He'd gone to war when they were all very little. It was one of the hardest things he'd had to do. When he returned home the youngest wasn't a baby or even a toddler anymore. _She grew so fast_ he thought to himself.

"Would you like some tea, Tom March?" Madera said as she entered the room. The sound of her voice made him jump as he snapped back into the present.

"It's just _Tom_, Madera." March stated. "Where I come from there were a lot of people named 'Tom'. People used a _surname_ so they… …You know what, forget it." He said noticing that Madera had no idea what he was getting at.

"Some tea would be great. Thank you." He said taking in the aroma. "Where's Jonny and Amie?"

"Amie is showing Jon Hayes the other structures." Madera said politely as she poured him some tea.

"In this storm? I can understand Jonny going out in it, but Amie…?" March said shaking his head and sipping the hot beverage.

"Mmmm…Wow! This is great! What is it?" March asked as the sensation in his taste buds made him forget about the two men traipsing about in the rain.

"My mother used to make. She taught me the blend. It's not so much the leaves as it is the spices." Madera said with a smile.

The walkie-talkie cracked in interrupting their little tea party "Major, this is Hayes, over?"

It was funny how military protocol always seemed to kick in when the situation called for it. There was no U.S. Air Force here. Hell there was no U.S. for that matter. Not one he'd recognize anyway. But the two men still, unwittingly, shifted into _soldier-mold_ when the state of affairs was right for it.

"Roger. What's your status?" March replied.

"It's incredible, Sir. There are remnants of old development here. Amie showed me where two other homes are, or were, anyway. They're overgrown, weathered, and have fallen in on themselves; nothing salvageable. It looks like there was some kind of quasi-military post here at one time. …A ranger or police station of some sort. We're in it now...or what's left of it. The rain came down pretty hard just before we arrived. We're gonna wait it out, over." Hayes said as he let up on the mic.

"Sounds good. How's Amie holding up, over?" March asked.

"As well as can be expected. He knows his way around this place like he created himself..."

Hayes paused as he stepped on a large, creepy looking, spider crawling across the dirty cement floor, and then went on. "…Major, there's something else I saw; possibly a small bomb shelter. I couldn't get inside though. It's built into the ground. There's a metal door with a computerized lock. I messed with a few of the buttons but no luck. I'm not even sure a bazooka would blow it open. I'd like to see what's in it though…over".

"I agree." March answered. "Come on back as soon as the weather breaks. Maybe I can find something here that will give us a layout of the island or even the combination to that lock. Over"

"Roger; Hayes out." Hayes said. He returned the device to its compartment and shivered as the cold ran beat down on their meager shelter.

When the two men finally returned it was late in the evening. They all ate the latest, catch of the day, as both parties filled the others in on more and more of their worlds. According to Madera there were no humans on the mainland. At least there weren't when she lived there. She had only seen one, in the capital city zoo as a youth. And she hadn't been particularly awed one way or another by it. From the time she'd been child, humans had been demonized as vicious creatures that ravaged everything they touched. For the nation to survive all humans had to die…or become _pacified_, as the ministry of science put it. She made it abundantly clear that if they returned the mainland they'd be killed immediately.

She explained that living with Amie had made her question those views. She'd been told humans couldn't even speak and were savage to the core. Amie had proven to be just the opposite. He and his wife, Marie saved her life, nursed her to health, cared for her, and even loved her like the child they'd lost. Some of what she had been told must have contained some truth though. There were children's stories of magic humans who flew through the sky and seas in mystical crafts of great wonder. This home for example made light without oil and heated itself without fire. On hot summer days it cooled itself magically. No ape dwelling was capable of anything close to it.

"It's not magic Madera, it's science. It's a matter of finding the _paramount_ solution. One plus one plus one plus one equals four. Just as three plus one does or two plus two…or even ten minus six. If your solution is 'four', you don't just need a combination; you need an expedient method of arriving at it. With larger numbers and numbers with decimals we can use; Scientific Notation. That's simply a method for expressing, and working with, very large or very small numbers. It is a _short hand method_ for writing numbers, and an easy method for calculations. Numbers in scientific notation are made up of three parts: the coefficient, the base and the exponent. …" Hayes interjected, spinning off topic with each sentence.

He stopped and looked at the blank faces staring at him. Even Tom's… He realized he was drifting off subject and into an area they couldn't relate to.

_Short-hand? Coefficient _he heard them mumbling.

"Ok look, where we come from we have …uh equipment … just like this house does. Lights, hot and cold water, heating, air-conditioning. It's all performed by machines. They initiate a limited set of predetermined commands, like your brain telling you to make a fire when you're cold. One way is to wrap yourself in blanket while another is to light a match…um... I mean strike the flint. …We've just learned to use the elements of, uh, nature, to do some of these things for us. Instead of creating fire, we heat the air…That's all." Hayes concluded.

Madera had no indication of what Hayes meant but smiled politely and just said; "Oh, I see."

"My son the professor" March said as he slapped Hayes on the shoulder. "Let's just eat and skip the science seminar, shall we?"

**The following morning…**

March had shown Hayes the diary entries. The two men had searched the large dwelling for signs of anything that might be useful. So far they'd found nothing but some weathered novels, old Canadian currency, moth eaten clothes, and couple of odd looking devices like the diary. One of which, no longer, had power. They also found several gold, silver, and platinum coins in a wall safe; some of which appeared to be American. There were old maps and a few long outdated legal documents, as well.

"I don't know about you Jonny, but I don't plan to live my life out on this island. And I certainly don't plan on being the 5 o'clock attraction at the public zoo. I think we need to see if there are any human settlements left. If we can find a ship maybe we can get back up there and get home. The diary spoke of a Holo-news-Link…" March said pronouncing it _hollow_. "Maybe human civilization survived out there somewhere."

"I saw no signs of a power generator, nuclear or otherwise, when I was poking around the island. …Of course who knows what one would even look like?" Hayes added.

"I want to see this bomb shelter, Jonny. It's the best place I can think of to start." March told him as he headed down to the main living area.

"I'm telling you Tom, without that code we'll never get in. Even a tank couldn't blast a hole in that door." Hayes said convincingly. "Amie had no clue what it was. All he knew was that his parents never went near it. He doesn't know the code…"

Hayes stopped dead in midsentence and looked down at the pad. He then looked up at Tom, and held up the pad in one hand. Wagging it back and forth slowly, he continued; "…but he did say his grandfather used to go in it when he was a boy. Maybe the code is written in here somewhere."

"Fire it up and let's take a look." March said.

After a few minutes of examination March realized that the diary handled multiple functions; Music, games, photography …as well as filing these electronic memos.

March was pushing buttons when Hayes suddenly interjected; "Wait, what's that!"

Hayes had noticed that a small window at the top was displaying a _Search-All_ option.

"Ok that's a start. But how do we enter search criteria? There's no keypad" March said. He tapped the _Search-All _icon by reflex and almost dropped the device when it asked: "Specify Search Criteria…"

"Ak-sess koodzzz… (*access codes)" Hayes blurted out slowly and mechanically.

"Searching…" the pad answered as it played an odd sounding tune.

Over the next twenty minutes they tried combination after combination narrowing their search. Several documents were corrupted while others showed either, no or useless, results. Until one log entry appeared to shed some light. The entry itself didn't exactly say what the code was but it did talk of a; _back-up reference card_ for the survival equipment.

"That's it!" March said as he clenched his fist. "Let's hope Amie knows what it is and where it is."

Amie was still fast asleep and Madera was, well who knew where Madera was. She was not one to sit still. If she wasn't cooking, she was cleaning or tending to Amie. If she wasn't doing that she was up in the trees doing who knows what.

"Tom we can't wake the old man. He needs the sleep. I just about killed him on our little tour yesterday. The obstinate old codger insisted on accompanying me. Let's find Madera and ask her first." Hayes said.

Madera was out in the garden just beyond the small graveyard. She knew nothing of what the two men spoke of. They had no choice but to wait for Amie to rise from his slumber.

For the next hour and a half Hayes helped Madera tend the garden while March searched the large cottage for the reference card. His luck appeared to be running true as he found nothing but more of the same junk; a broken doll, some cracked buttons, more books, and an interesting looking revolver that was completely rusted and worn. It fell apart as March fidgeted with the parts. _Wow, this thing looks like it's from the old-west or something_. March said to himself.

When Amie finally awoke it was almost 10 am. The answer he gave the astronauts made them step back… "Pépé worked hard. He lost most of the family getting them here. He wore a chain around his neck with a card that he'd reference when using the equipment. Said it was easier than hauling around various paraphernalia and having to remember pass-codes. He died when I was young. He was always so kind to me. _Mi Pere_ buried him with it…"

"Buried him …with it." March said as he glanced at Hayes. "Um Amie, I don't mean to sound disrespectful or even crazy, but I think we need that card. That would require…"

"I know what it requires, Tom…" He said pronouncing the name _Tow-may_ with his French accent. "I'm old …not senile, ya know. I said that _Pere_ buried him with it. My father was not a well man. He wasn't strong like Pépé was. As he aged his mind would forget things, even who I was and he'd have fits of delusional rage. He lost a son and daughter and was never quite himself afterwards. Once Pépé was gone we buried him as is and tried to get on with life."

"Here Amie…" Madera said as she brought the old man his morning tea and breakfast.

Amie smiled, thanked her, and then went on. "It's no secret that I will soon be dead …but Madera..."

He paused as he took her paw in his hand and tapped the top with the palm of his opposite hand. "Dig up the grave. Pépé is long gone, what is left is just a shell. His soul is with his Creator. But you will do it on this condition gentleman; you are to look after Madera when I'm gone. She's as dear to me as if she were my own."

Madera smiled and squeezed his hand gently as she said. "Let's not put you in the ground yet, 'old-man', ok? Besides, you're too stubborn to pass on anytime soon. Eat your food before it spoils."

"Johnny grab your entrenching tool and let's go." March ordered

Hayes and March grabbed their gear and headed towards the graveyard.


	8. Chapter 8: The Battle  Man vs Ape

**The Island**

"I'm glad that blasted rain finally stopped." Hayes said taking a swig of water from his canteen. "It's muddy enough out here without that stuff turning everything into a soup."

"I wouldn't worry. From the looks of it, it's going to be a hot day. That mud will be dried up by evening. It's these damn mosquitoes I hate" replied March, as he flattened one of the pesky insects with a crisp slap.

March pulled out the plastic card they'd retrieved from _Pépé's_ remains and handed it to Hayes. "Read me the numbers next to _Weather and Communications Room_."

"Seven … one …four … one … one … eight_"_ March echoed as he punched the numbers into the pad. The small panel in front of him lit up bright green and blinked twice. He heard what sounded like tumblers click as he instinctively pulled down the handle.

"Hot damn, Jonny. It worked." He said as he heaved the door fully open.

They climbed down a ladder that led to a cramped corridor. At the end was a second door. It had a white and yellow symbol of a cloud and lightning bolt, in the center. The words: WARNING – AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY, were written in red. At the top there was an engraved plate stating: ONTAIRO GAIMING BUREAU. There was no lock and that was because there was no door handle; just a small black pad where the handle should be.

"It's always something." Hayes said in a pessimistic tone. "What do you think that's for?" he added, pointing at the odd looking pad.

"I don't have the slightest clue, maybe some kind of electronic key, but I didn't come this far to be stopped here. This door isn't one-tenth as strong as the one up there." March answered as he raised a leg and gave it a massive kick. March was nearing 42 years of age. He'd lost a step, over the years, but he was still as muscled as he'd been at 35. …And was quite lean and strong enough to kick like a mule. This door wasn't about to keep him out.

It flinched slightly from the massive jolt. A couple of kicks later, the frame broke lose, and the two men entered a room approximately, 12 by 12 in diameter.

The area housed two rows of computerized equipment. It looked like the control center at NASA. There were chairs and digital screens flashing away. The room lit up with light as if it sensed their presence.

"Jonny, look at that…it's incredible." March exclaimed pointing to an electronic 3-D image of the island and surrounding area. There were four small dots displayed as well. One was green and above it was the word; _Amie_. The other three were red and displayed, _Unknown_.

"That's …us" Hayes said pointing down at the image. "If I wasn't looking at it I wouldn't believe my eyes, Tom… How? I mean…" Hayes couldn't find the words he was searching for, so he started over. "…It's some kind of high-tech radar, I guess".

_Korbett Technologies: WI, USA_ was etched into the side of the second display table. A four-sided _box_ was centered on the table. It hummed quietly and had six small tubes pointing in every direction. At its base were nine round circular devices that looked like large silver dollars. The word; _Nuclear Cell _was etched into the top of each 'coin'.

As March looked up and down the table he noticed something akin to a communications consol. It was similar to _the radar_ but had an interface like that of the electronic diary. March was about to push a button when Hayes spoke up and said. "Look at this Tom!"

The 3-D radar now displayed a view of the continental United States.

"What happened?" March asked.

"This." Hayes replied as he pushed a button on the table. The radar now displayed, Western Europe; outlining and labeling, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and a few others.

"This thing is amazing. It has to have some kind of real-time satellite feed. We hit the jackpot." Hayes added.

"Can you pull up Washington DC?" March asked.

"I think so. The interface has preset menus…look here…"

Beijing

Berlin

London

Moscow

New York City

Ottawa

Paris

The list went on… Hayes pushed Washington and an image of DC displayed before them.

"Look at all of the dots. Maybe they're human." Hayes said.

March had no way of knowing it, but most of the dots belonged to the army of Supreme General Narr, who was looking for remnants of …_their human tribe_.

"I think there's some kind of radio transmitter over there. If we could somehow figure out how to link these two together…" March said.

He never finished that thought as the image of DC vanished and the 3-D display of the island reappeared. An automated voice that sounded very much like the _Dreadnaughts'_ CIS system was warning. CAUTION – VESSEL OF UNKNOWN NATURE DETECTED – E.T.A.: 37:26 MINUTES…37:25 …37:24…23 …22 … … … CAUTION – VESSEL OF UNKNOWN NATURE DETECTED – E.T.A.: 36:00 MINUTES …36:59 …58

Looking down they noticed the large red blinking dot, with crosshairs in its center, moving towards the island. The island was a few miles in diameter and the boat was a good mile southwest but it was definitely moving in their direction.

"Jon, we have to get out of here. You can bet that's not the welcome to the neighborhood committee." March said and the two men headed out.

Hayes reached the house first. He was breathing heavy as he arrived. He shouted for Amie and Madera and saw that they both had small crude looking crossbows. Amie was dipping the tips in a solution he could only guess was the same witches' brew they'd been hit with.

March, who wasn't far behind, caught up as Hayes was asking; "What… How did you know?"

"The light." Amie said.

"The what?" Hayes replied.

"The house. It has a light. Every room has one. Only comes on when there's trouble. Came on when you two arrived. Also flashed when Marie and I found Madera. Pépé never shut up about it. Said if we saw it meant there was a problem." Amie explained.

"Did you see something?" Madera asked. "How did you know they were coming?"

The astronauts quickly explained how they'd gotten their information. The explanation, however, was interpreted the same way Hayes's _Science Lecture_ had been. That didn't matter though. What did was the fact that, in less than an hour, a confrontation was about to occur and they needed to prepare.

March quickly inquired about the island's defenses…if you could call a few nets and crossbows that.

"Make it with Full strength, Amie. I'd bet my last dollar those are not men." March stated

"Your last what?" The French Canadian man asked shaking his head in disgust. "You two and your blasted riddle-speak. I never know what in blazes you're talking about."

"Forget it Amie, it's an expression. Madera, I need you to climb that tree, right there." March said pointing to a massive oak just south of their location. "… And I want you to look southwest and tell me if you can see anything."

Again, he pointed southwest so as not to confuse the chimp with more, _riddles_. She glanced at Amie who gave her _the_ _ok _with the wave of his hand.

_What I wouldn't give for a few claymores right now_. He thought. "Jonny, if we can determine where they're coming in from maybe we can take them out with a couple of grenades before they reach land." March said, as tactical ideas were bouncing around his brain.

"Might work," Hayes replied. "…but we have no idea how large of a craft it is. I'll say this, Sir; you make a good point. If they're apes we'll definitely have the advantage engaging them before they reach shore. From what Madera says; they can't swim and do no like the water. It's a death trap for them"

Madera was able to spot the craft though she couldn't make out the details. It was still too far out. _Looks like a speck from here. But it's there,_ was all she'd said. She was astounded when March showed her how to use a pair of binoculars. And thanks to the binoculars they now had a body count and description of the midsized craft.

The plan was to get as close to the shore line as possible, determine what section of land it was headed for, and if possible, use a combination of smoke and ballistic grenades to stop the aggressors before they made it to shore.

If that wasn't possible, or didn't stop them, they were to use cover and concealment to fall back to, 'Position Bravo', as March had dubbed it. They would then use the net to scoop up as many as possible. Amie and Madera were to position there with crossbow and drug at the ready …Their _orders_ - 'Shoot first and ask questions later'.

"Ok Sir, here is what we've got; 16 grenades. 3 canisters of white smoke. 3 of red. 2 9mm pistols and 10 clips containing 20 rounds per clip. 2 103s with 10 clips containing 60 rounds per clip. 2 field knives. 4 canteens. 1 field pad. 1 compass. 3 sets of NVG. 2 radio sets. 2 flash lights. 2 med kits. Standard entrenching gear. 1 flair gun and 3 flairs. …And 2 sets of binos." Hayes rattled off, sounding like he'd been born to recite it.

"You two look absolutely ridiculous." Madera said making reference to their black, green and brown camouflaged faces, as well as, the branches and leaves they'd attached to their olive drab uniforms.

Hayes was trying his best to hold back the sarcasm. It was hot and he was in full field gear. The sun was beating down on him as if hell itself had opened its doors. _They're like a couple of four year olds with this, 'I don't get it', stuff_. _If this is the best this place has to offer, we'll be back home in a week_, he thought making a blanket judgment of the entire population.

Hayes knelt down in the shrubs blending in with the surrounding environment. The glare of the sun and foliage made him look like part of the landscape. After a second or two he stood back up and just said, "Get it now?"

"Ok everyone …know what to do?" March said, ignoring the ape's remark. "We need to get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover, and little time to do it in. Stay close to him, Madera." He added tilting his head towards Amie. "…and remember, if you hear the word _valentine_, DO NOT shoot. That means we didn't stop them in the lake and are falling back."

**Just off the shore line**

_Finally! Any longer and I think I would have shot myself. C_aptain Gondar thought as he saw the shore line getting closer and closer. It took all he had to give his next order.

"Ok Corporal. Get them ready. As soon as we land, you are to, unwrap the weapons. And make sure they don't get wet. I want the scout to see if he can pick up any kind of trail. We will leave two soldiers with the boat. The rest of us will move forward in search of the fugitives." Gondar ordered as steadily as he could.

The next action was one that the sea-ape loathed. "Ok prepare to dock." he said as he lunged himself into the green water. He cursed as the cold water came up chest high, almost reaching his neck. He grabbed the boat and pulled it towards the land.

They all stopped at the sudden _ka-plush_ they saw in the water. It looked like the splash a stone made when it was thrown in a pond. The second startling event was a grenade landing in their craft, with a dull thud. Gondar picked up the metal ball looking at it inquisitively. There was a second dull thud followed by deafening explosions.

The front and midsection of the transport vessel splintered in every direction. What was left of Gondar, the corporal, and the reaming sea-crew, sprayed Grazot and the soldiers in the back of the boat. Grazot heard a sound like insects whizzing past his ringing ears, as he and the survivors plunged into the cold green waters of Lake Nipigon. He knew that sound too. _They're shooting at us_, he thought as he hit the water. That thought was confirmed as one of four foot apes was hit in the head. He could hear another roaring in pain. His legs were gone from one of the grenade blasts. He was muffled by the waters as he quickly sank to the bottom and drown.

The lake was now a brownish red and littered with chunks of decapitated body parts and floating fish. They were only in 7 or 8 feet of water. If it had been any deeper they all would have drown. The gorilla was well over 9 and a half feet tall. The last sea ape was at Grazot's side. He was dead from a hunk of wood that had punched a whole in his chest.

"Tom, a couple of them survived the grenade salvo. Without the boat a second barrage wouldn't be effective. I suggest we move in and cut them down with direct fire, over", Hayes shouted into the radio.

"Roger, you move up and take the two on the left. I can almost see the other. Make it count. March out." March answered.

Under normal circumstances Hayes would have initiated more caution but the gorillas in the water were unarmed and floundering around like …fish out of water. So for brief moment he dropped his guard moved forward.

Grazot who had realized he wasn't sinking also realized that the safest place was right where he was at. For the moment, he wasn't budging. He was suppressing his natural fear. Though he could stand, his footing wasn't as secure as he hoped. What was left of the capsized boat gave him sufficient cover. His subordinates had noticed it, as well, and followed his lead.

"General…" One said as Grazot barked, "Shut up", back at him.

His mind searched for some solution that would work to his advantage. But he head was ringing fiercely from the two blasts. That was when he saw something moving from the tree line just beyond the shore. Though he was in search of humans Grazot's mind registered 'ape' as Hayes stepped forward. The dark colored camouflage on the man's face was playing tricks with the general's mind. However within a second his vision registered, _Human, _as he noticed theweapon and reassessed the image in his subconscious.

A foot soldier tapped the general on his arm and pointed out a second figure converging on them as well. He looked like a walking bush Grazot though.

The word,_ Improvise_, suddenly popped into the military leader's brain. He hadn't come this far to die while standing in the water. He completely submerged himself and grabbed the body of the dead sea-ape on the bed of the lake. With the strength, only a 600 lb gorilla possessed, he held the cadaver over his head and hurled it at Hayes.

The sight of that massive bloody ape flying through the air and slamming into his body would stay with him into his old age.

The huge beast hit Hayes with such force that it broke a rib and instantly knocked the wind out him. He flew back several feet and slammed into a tree with a thud, fracturing a second rib. He then drifted off into a dark emptiness as gravity pulled him harshly to the ground.

"Jon!" March shouted as he lifted his rifle and fired on full auto in the gorilla's direction. Bullets ripped into its side but the angle was skewed. _Damn it_! He muttered.

Again the foot-ape followed his commander's lead. He pulled the dead body of his decapitated comrade and launched it at March. It missed by several feet but was effective enough to cause March to retreat back to the tree line for cover.

That had given Grazot enough time to climb up on what was left of the vessel and leap to the shore. A feeling of uneasiness came over March as he recognized how much power and agility these beasts possessed. The gorillas looked 10 feet tall and almost as wide.

The two other brutes had been working there way to shore as March was retreating. And they were almost to it. March fired a couple of rounds; hitting the closest one's shoulder and arm. But it only staggered him. The other grabbed his companion and pulled him ashore. He was too close for a grenade. Any shrapnel would hit Hayes, as well. He looked dead but who could tell.

"Get him." Grazot shouted. "But make sure to take him alive!" The two gorillas roared and sped for his position at a remarkable speed.

A less experienced soldier might have tried to hold his ground but March realized that he was no match for three, 10 foot gorillas. He already had a smoke canister at the ready. He popped the seal and dropped the canister. He then turned towards _Position Bravo_ and ran off as fast as he could.

The smoke worked …almost as planned. It confused the apes long enough for March to get a head start but there was one thing they hadn't anticipated…the trees.

"Valentine …Valentine …Valentine" he repeated as he approached the fallback position.

He could see the fright in Madera's eyes as he rushed past her position.

They no longer had the element of surprise so March blurted out. "They're coming …get ready. There are at least two, possibly three on the way."

March looked down the path expecting to see the pursuers closing. It wasn't until Madera gasped that he looked up and saw the huge ape soldiers jumping through the tree tops. It looked like a typical scene from Wild Kingdom.

_They're going to overshoot the net_, March said. "Shoot them" he shouted to Madera and Amie but he knew the chances of them hitting were next to nothing. Amie was old and Madera… he noticed was crouching. She looked like she was in shock and definitely was not moving.

He reached for his knife and unlatched the catch. Next he ran towards the edge of the net lifting his rife up and firing in hopes of getting a lucky shot through the sea of growth all around.

_Bam-bam-bam_. The earsplitting sound of the firing rifle made Madera jump but she still wasn't moving.

_This had better work. If those gorillas drop on top of me instead in front of me …I'm done,_ March thought as he stopped just shy of the net and pulled out his knife.

Drawing their attention, he baited the animals, by jumping and shouting. Leaves and twigs flew into the air as first one dropped to the ground. A split second later the second ape dropped. Blood was spilling from the shots he'd received earlier. March cringed as the sight of its carnivorous teeth as it roared in pain. Without thinking he cut the rope and smiled as the two unsuspecting primates propelled upward.

He raised his weapon but before he could fire one of the gorillas ripped through the old net like it was paper. He managed to fire as the two fell earthward, hitting one with a shower of hot lead. The animal landed on what was left of its side with a thud.

He pulled the trigger again. _Click-clack – Shit! I'm empty,_ went through his mind as the second animal cursed at him and leaped into the air.

A combination of fear, anxiety, regret, and apprehension, flashed through his mind as March realized he was about to die. Within a millisecond his mind thought of his wife, children, grandchildren, his time in the service, his mother and father, and even a girl from the second grade he'd had a crush on as a boy.

His eyes closed as his body tensed for impact and readied him for the approaching pain. But it never came. Madera intercepted the ape in midflight and jabbed a crossbow bolt into the base of the soldier's neck.

The gorilla roared and overpowered the female chimp with ease as they tumbled through the woods. He was 20 years younger and at least 200 lbs heavier. …Most of which was rock-solid muscle. He raised both arms, clenched his fist, and was just about to hammer the female when he fell over and collapsed into an unconscious stupor.

As the gorilla toppled, March could see a figure holding an empty crossbow. There stood Amie sweating and pale.

"Madera…?" was the last word he uttered as two 9 mm slugs slammed into his chest. The pistol's echo made March's already frazzled heart skip a beat. The lead slugs blew a hole in Amie's back, so large, that most of the blood in his body spilled on the ground before he ever hit it.

That was followed by the _thump_ of Jon Hayes's unconscious body being tossed at the feet of March.

"Impressive human; Very impressive indeed! Three of you successfully took out my entire company. You demolished our vessel with who knows what and have left only one of us standing." General Grazot said stepping into view. He held a 9 mm pistol in his paw directly at the two humans and shocked chimp. Before the ship sailed, Grazot had successfully removed the trigger guard, allowing him to use the weapon.

"We have some things we need to discuss. And don't think I won't kill you all if you give me even the smallest reason." Grazot said as he stepped forward and picked up the empty M-103.


	9. Chapter 9: The Alliance

**Arum City**

"As soon as General Grazot returns you are to have him report to me immediately. And for his sake, he'd better have that weapon. …That is, if he ever returns." The Lord Prefect said gritting his teeth.

"We could follow him, you know. It would be dangerous and time consuming but we could hire some of the hatchery crews and go after him." Ndola said as rain drops started to spill into the open window across the room and trickle onto the floor.

"No. he'll be back. He didn't trudge off with the intention of staying out there. If he isn't dead, he'll come to us soon enough. Besides, the thought of going anywhere near that water makes me feel uneasy in more ways than I can say." Sullen replied as he walked over to the window and shut the wooden doors.

"Sullen, I feel I am somewhat to blame. I have always known that the gorilla is the most aggressive of our species but I also considered them nothing more than a bunch of arrogant, glory seeking, buffoons. I fear I underestimated the General." Ndola answered.

Sullen mumbled something about the foul weather and shook his head; "No Ndola. You did not underestimate anything. The General may not be a total buffoon but he is drunk on power. I don't believe for one minute that he took that pistol for_ self-defense_, as Colonel Mikos stated. I'd like to believe that was the motive but I'm no fool. It's the whole reason he simply took the thing rather than asking for it. He knows full well that you would have never handed it over willingly. He's been bitten and the venom has gone to his _glory-seeking _head."

Sullen moved closer to Ndola as the rain began to beat down on the command post. He rubbed his brow as he felt a headache rising. Wagging a finger between them he sarcastically said; "Unfortunately, our glory seeking General has been playing us as the buffoons. This plan he concocted about shooting humans did work but it also cemented the fact that there are humans left in the territory. Under the right conditions that fact could be used as tool of manipulation."

"But what are we to do? There are those who think that we should use all the human knowledge now, rather than waiting. Malrep has voiced that opinion more than once. The General does have a small influence within the council. And he is highly regarded within the military. If we make an issue of this, he will surely play those cards." Ndola added.

"And he'll lose too. The council is aware of our history, my friend. The true history, I might add. They all know that this threat is much larger than some kind of internal political struggle. They will not side with Grazot. Even Malrep realizes that" Sullen stated firmly.

"Yes, but if he tries to seize power via the militia he will have the means at his disposal to do as he pleases" Ndola replied.

Sullen replied with a vicious certainty in his voice "We will exterminate the humans and destroy their nest and then we will return to building our society. If the General has an issue with any of that he too will suffer that same fate as the humans. I will not give him the chance to preach his message of glory. He is to be sent to me immediately. In fact, when we're done, dispatch a rider and summon General Zuglanus without delay."

He paused as he regained control by taking a sip of tea and biting into a raw piece of fish. He chewed on the fresh catch and concluded with; "We have carefully introduced human know-how into our society with great caution and care. We've done it for our protection and to improve our quality of life. It's done in small quantities and under absolute control. It's incremental and that is not going to change. Grazot will be reassigned and sent to Kuo, where it is quiet and monotonous, and where he will be totally out of sight, mind …and influence. And before he departs, the General will surrender the weapon and any other devices those humans possess. That is, if he actually locates the beasts."

**The Island **

General Grazot had unquestionably _located the beasts_. But his plan wasn't going precisely as he'd hoped. His entire squad was dead. The chimps that had the knowledge to negotiate the choppy waters of The Pond were now at its murky bottom. Even the vessel he'd arrived in was nothing more than splintered debris. He had located them indeed. He had even captured them. However, for now, he was just as much of a prisoner as they were.

The deal that Grazot presented was simple. They were to arm and train his apes and in return he would guarantee safe passage back to their territory. If they refused, they would be taken to the Ape Council where they would most certainly be _persuaded_ to divulge everything they knew of their human colony. Then they would die. The choice was obvious; deal with him and live or deal with his superiors and die painfully. It was purely a marriage of convenience as the human March had mockingly declared it.

To give his argument more teeth, Grazot had impressively lied to the men. Stating that the apes knew exactly where the humans were and that more ships were scheduled to arrive if he wasn't back in a reasonable amount of time. Grazot made it unmistakably clear that the apes on those vessels would treat them viciously, so his deal was the only deal they'd get. He also made it very clear that they had better be long gone before those ships arrived.

Grazot was the only survivor of his group. The Gorilla Amie hit with the crossbow bolt died within a day. He'd been exposed to too high of a dose of the nasty poison combined with a lucky shot at such a close range. The bolt had punched though his back and pierced a lung. Surprisingly, the humans offered their own concoction of a remedy to ease his pain; a drug that seemed to instantly remove the pain and even make one euphoric. Not so _barbaric_, after all, as Ndola and Sullen had insisted. What kind of barbarian shows mercy on his would-be killers? No, there was more to these human_ animals _than the _keepers of the faith_ had revealed. He didn't want to embrace them as long lost family but he wasn't about to dismiss them as total savages either.

When Grazot ordered the humans to prepare the bodies for a proper burning, the pathetic creatures couldn't even lift them. One of the humans was wounded but even a wounded ape could have lifted the body of the dead ape soldiers, easily. Yet, with the help of the female, they ineptly accomplished their task.

For a weak and frail species these humans made up for it with skill and expertise. Grazot had both awe and disdain towards his soon-to-be _allies_. That was an odd combination indeed. So blasted resourceful and yet so …pathetically feeble. He could crush them without the slightest effort, yet they seemed to possess an understanding of things that even rivaled that of the great ape.

He'd accepted Madera's explanation for being on the island but was baffled by the obvious love she'd had for the human he'd cut in two; All thanks to the sophisticated pistol he now possessed. A love that seemed to match the hatred she exhibited towards him. Of course he'd made it plainly obvious that he didn't care and that he was now absolutely in control. He concluded that her affection was probably the love one would have for a pet or an object of deep sentimental value.

The humans and the chimp had been stripped of their weapons and equipment. At first March wouldn't cooperate but as soon as General Grazot pointed a pistol at Hayes's unconscious body he grudgingly wised up. Of course, he didn't need to use the weapon. He was far superior in speed, strength, and stamina. One squeeze of his paw and the human would snap like a twig.

Grazot hadn't really known what to do with the varied crew of misfits. He could lock them up but what would that accomplish, out here? He could have threatened their lives to help him but if he killed them how would he get the knowledge he desired? Sure he possessed their equipment but he wanted the means to manufacture more. Enough to arm his entire contingent. Enough to arm all of the contingents. He could not do that without their help. So for now they were free but on a very short leash.

No, threats, violence or intimidation were not the answer. Well, not the total answer, anyway. The best way to deal with this crew of oddballs was to cut these humans loose and let them do what they appeared to best; make the complex simple. Yes, let them solve the issue of finding a way out of this prison.

Weaponless, the two men had been sent out to scout for a boat or anything that might carry them off the island. One card that Grazot did have to play was Madera. He didn't need her for anything. Her death wouldn't alter his plan one bit. If they even crossed him in the slightest manner, he'd assured them Madera would meet a very slow and painful end. For now, that was keeping the humans in control.

The two men scoured the island for a day and half with no luck. Madera had lived here for two decades and knew of nothing of a port, boats or anything of value. There was a long abandon loading dock a mile or two to the north but it was overrun and the walls had collapsed long ago. The men found vehicles and equipment there but they were weathered, rusted and massively corroded. The long exposure to the elements of nature had rendered them nothing more than decomposed rubbish.

"You…March…come here." Grazot barked out as he waved him over with pistol in hand. The two men looked exactly alike to Grazot. The only way he could tell them apart was because Hayes was wounded and held his side as he walked. "What did you find?"

"Nothing General. Just like yesterday. And there's no need to point that gun at me every time we speak. I'm not all that excited about getting my head blown off because of your facilitation with your little toy." March said.

The General popped the clip, cleared the chamber, and set the 9 mm aside. He was getting quite good at field stripping the weapons and he seemed more and more comfortable handling them. He'd made March explain or demonstrate each and every item in their inventory multiple times. He was like a young boy who just found a container of his father's relics from World War III.

"Listen General, you're as much of a prisoner here as we are. And as amazed as you are with our gear you can see that it is what it is. In other words, once it's gone, that's it. We can't resupply. Now, I do know where a boat is but it will never hold our combined weight." March stated directly.

"Just how much weight will it hold and where is this boat? You said you found nothing." Grazot replied.

"Maybe twelve hundred pounds, thirteen hundred max. It's state of the art and designed for 4 men with a full military compliment. It's the craft we arrived in. Now, I weigh about 220 and Hayes is probably 210. You're at least 600 plus and Madera is just as close. That's over 16 hundred pounds and that doesn't account for our equipment." March explained.

"Then we leave the female here. That will be more than sufficient for all of us and the equipment" Grazot stated frankly.

"That's not an option, General!" Hayes said jumping in. "We all go or none of us go."

"You are in no position to give orders." Grazot snarled back. "We are leaving here and we are going to do it quickly. You invaded our territory human. You are killed hundreds of apes and every soldier I brought with me. Don't try and mislead me into thinking you care about the life of a female chimpanzee."

"And of course you want us to train and supply your soldiers with automatic weapons so that you can shoot holes in the dirt to plant daisies…all in the name of peace and love. Yes General, I witnessed first hand how benevolent you apes are as I watched your animalistic soldiers rip Colonel Johnson out of our ship and tear him into tiny pieces." Hayes spouted back in defense.

Grazot was not a kin to being spoken to so bluntly by what he perceived as a _subordinate_. He'd had taken note that the two men were trained combatants. The rank and structure were very similar to those in his militia. And he'd noted that March conducted himself as the ranking officer. Hayes even used the word 'sir' when talking to March. His brow tightened as he propped himself up on his feet. The more it hit him, the angrier he became.

He moved his hulking mass over Hayes and calmly said. "Maybe I'll start by planting you like a daisy!"

Hayes was no coward but the overbearing size of the gorilla made it clear that he was not comfortable. His heart started to race as his brain searched for the right words to get him out of the foolish mess he was now regretting. However, before the situation got any worse, March cut in.

"Get away from him General, now." March said as a familiar _click-clack_ sounded in their ears. It was the recognizable sound of the clip locking in place. March then chambered a round and pointed the weapon directly at Grazot's large head.

Both Hayes and Grazot turned to see March holding, the now assembled, 9mm pistol. Grazot flinched, reaching for Hayes, but stopped as he read the unspoken words that were pouring from March's face.

"We are leaving this island, General…All of us…together. I don't give a damn if you want to start your own private war. But I do know this; we need each other and if we want this to work there needs to be a level of trust. Call it military courtesy if you will…_Sir_. We can't go around wondering who's going to kill who. You help us and we will help you. This is your backyard so you make the calls. But be certain of one fact; we're going to do this as equals." March stated. And with that he paused and starred at the General.

_You're getting soft in your old age, Grazot, _the General thought to himself. _That was just stupid_. But the human had a point. He'd come this far and was too close to let it all come toppling down because he'd been insulted. So he reluctantly replied. "Alright human…equals then. But we follow my lead…by the letter. And if you're determined to take the female then you figure out a way to get us all off of this rock. I want to leave in the morning."


	10. Chapter 10: Leaving the Island

**The Island**

"It's too narrow, General. It was made for us skinny humans. It wasn't built with a ten foot, 800 pound, gorilla in mind." March stated, gesturing towards the small opening to the underground weather station. "Even if you can manage to squeeze into it, the ladder leading down is too corroded to hold your weight."

"I'll manage and I don't need that ladder. You two go on and stop worrying about what I can and can't accomplish." The General claimed waving them off with the whisk of his paw. His fascination with human technology was becoming an obsession. It reminded March of an addict in need of a fix. One way or another he was determined to get down there.

"If he gets stuck, I can jump on his head and help him down." Madera interjected with a snide smirk on her face.

March climbed down first and helped Hayes as his ribs protested in agony. He hated to push a wounded man but Hayes was the brains of the outfit. His abilities in mathematics, physics and, most importantly, their practical application, were his talent. March would need his help once they reached the futuristic equipment.

The men made it down the narrow hallway and across the broken door that had been kicked in earlier. The room lit up with light, just as it had the first time the two men walked inside. The rows of computerized equipment displayed similar images. There was the 3-D grid of the island on the radar display. Red dots represented each one of them, just as before. The digital screens were flashing away with dull lights that looked like a rainbow. Hayes had no idea what any of it meant but was fairly certain he'd figure something out.

"Ok Jonny, have at it. We need to find a way to convince that gorilla that we have …_a tribe_ somewhere." March said rather pessimistically.

Hayes was seating himself at the communications consol when he head the grunting and groaning of General Grazot as he pushed his way down the narrow hall.

"Unbelievable, Tom. He actually made it." Hayes said chuckling as best as his wounded side would allow.

When Grazot finally entered the room he couldn't find the words to describe the wonder before his eyes. The temperature of the room was cool. Just like the human dwelling above. The air was crisp. Not stale and muggy as it was, in the passage, just a few feet back. The architecture of the equipment was astonishing. He'd asked himself this question a hundred times but again thought; _how are such things possible?_ He passed his paw through the 3-D radar display and the gazed down at it as if something miraculous were about to occur. He reached out to touch one of the display panels but was abruptly interrupted by the voice of Hayes.

"Please don't touch anything, General." Hayes requested sternly. "This is highly sensitive equipment."

Grazot flinched like a schoolboy who had just been caught glancing at the test answers of a peer. "Uh, yeah, ok…" he replied, not really knowing how to react; a feeling that bothered the General greatly. He was determined to keep his wits but these awesome _things_ the humans seemed to spring on him made him feel like he was in a dream. He was looking at technology and craftsmanship that seemed impossible. But again, there it was.

Hayes pushed buttons, tapped displays, flipped switches, in an attempt to manipulate the equipment. It was like probing for a doorway in the dark. He hesitated a few times giving Grazot a dirty look whenever he'd butt in with a barrage of questions. Amie's grandfather's _cheat-card_ helped him fumble through a few of the system pass codes. Finally, after about 25 minutes he spoke up confidently.

"Ok Tom, I think I have it. This relay station links to a GPS feed that's similar to the field pads our military use." Hayes said referring to the 3-D radar station. "Although this one here seems much more efficient. Our field pads won't work unless they're in satellite range. This system seems to work regardless of satellite positioning. It's driven by a list of available menu options the same way the diary works. You tap on a location…like _Detroit_ and…whaa-la."

Hayes tapped the screen. The radar screen blinked and hummed and a 3-D image of Detroit, Michigan appeared.

"It's in ruin" March said as he starred at the image.

"Yes Sir, but that's not my point. This station and the one over there have been jerry-rigged…" Hayes explained as he waved off Grazot's dumbfound expression from the use of the word; _jerry-rigged_.

"To put it in plain English; the radar will display whatever destination is picked from the list. It then feeds data to that device _there_, which appears to be some sort of, uh, radio receiver. It pulls data and displays it there. And it displays _local_ data for the location selected" Hayes concluded as he pointed to the Holo device at the opposite end of the room.

"You mean if I select Cincinnati I can also get Cincinnati television and radio?" March asked.

Hayes walked over to March and went on. "In a word, yes, although there are no broadcasts from what I can tell. I think it's pretty simple, Tom. From what I've been able to derive from the diary entries, the world was at war and ape dominance was on the rise. Amie's grandparents and few other families managed to escape to this island. Once here, Amie's grandfather manipulated the weather and communications gear. The radar software monitors the island but allows one to use GPS to _see_ other locations. The comm. equipment will only receive. The transmission capabilities have been disabled."

"They didn't want to be found but didn't want to be out here blind either." March said as the pieces slowly started to form in his head. "Grandpa was going keep his family safe but wanted to monitor what was going on in the world, in the event that things somehow stabilized. Can you fix this thing so that it transmits?"

"I don't think so Sir. The mechanics and software are years beyond anything I've every worked with. Maybe if I had 6 months and the…" Hayes answered.

"Ok humans, enough of the riddles. We have a deal. Your Tribe. Show me your tribe." Grazot interrupted. "I allowed you to delay our departure so that you could try and signal your people. Get on with it."

Hayes glanced at March who responded with; "Why not Jonny. Let's see if we can figure out what's going on in Washington."

Hayes manipulated the radar controls and pressed Washington. An image of DC displayed. "Ok Jonny, how do I pull in the local traffic?" March asked.

"I just push this button _here_ and the images should appear _there_." Hayes said as he worked the controls.

The image of DC was similar to that of Detroit; ruin and rubble. Parts of the Lincoln Memorial and capital building were still recognizable. And there was definitely activity. Red _specks_ were everywhere.

"Something's going on there. Look at all that movement." Hayes said.

"Can you pull in any traffic? Are they human, ape, both?" March asked in rapid sequence.

"This unit receives but I'm not sure how it deciphers sounds or pulls transmissions." Hayes answered as he attempted to filter the feed. "I think I can manipulate the GPS to concentrate on a specific area…by refining the…vicinity…to…ok, I think I have it. This should pull up an area of about one or two _Klicks_"

The Holo image hummed and a more detailed area came into view. Human soldiers were engaging their ape counterparts in a severe battle. The image reminded March of a silent movie.

"By all that's holy …That's General Narr's Contingent!" Grazot blurted out in surprise. "I recognize his field commander, Colonel Sark."

The image flashed as Colonel Sark and the surrounding apes were silently vaporized. It was the next scene that caught the astronaut's eyes. An aircraft of unrecognizable design and incredible speed burst through the image and disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

All three of them jumped as the imaged flashed through the display. March and Hayes looked at each other instinctively. The 3-D image hummed and faded. Once again the representation of the island appeared. Grazot was demanding that the men show him more but for the first time since their arrival the two felt hope and purpose tug at their spirits.

"That's our colony General. You help us get there and we'll see about arming you with whatever you need" March lied with convincing enthusiasm. "Let's get back to the house and make preparations to get off of this rock."

The two men and two apes returned to the old mansion. General Grazot had several territory maps laid out as he and the two men bounced various options and opinions off of each other. Grazot's maps stopped just shy of Toronto, so March filled him in with the help of a field pad.

Unfortunately, the field pad did not have a nuclear battery and was showing 'yellow' on the power status bar. The image of the Canadian Southeast and the American Northeast kept fading in and out. The unit was designed to recharge in the field, via solar power, but the process was an excruciatingly long one.

"…Piece of garbage!" March muttered in frustration. He instinctively rapped the side of the unit against his palm as he spoke, as if that would magically recharge it. "We grabbed this technology from the Russians back in '63. You'd think we would have found ways to improve it."

Grazot had become accustom to only understanding about 50% of what these men were talking about, but in this case he took in most of the meaning. "These territorial maps cover several days ride. The information on that thing can wait." he interjected as his stomach began to growl with hunger.

"You…" he went on as he looked towards Madera "what do we have to eat? What about that meat from that wild pig we killed earlier." The Gorilla was very condescending whenever he spoke to Madera. He never used her name, only referring to her as, 'you' or 'female'. It seemed to be part of their culture. What the General failed to realize was that Madera hadn't been part of that culture for over two decades. The General also failed to realize that he'd killed a human she'd loved as if he'd been her own father.

There had been more than one moment of tension between the two primates. The last time Grazot had _demanded_ food, he ended up wearing it. He'd nearly wrecked the dining area on that occasion and Madera came close to getting the life choked out of her. He'd only spared her life for the sake of what he'd called their _mutual interests_. He'd made it clear that if she persisted to resist his _authority _he would permanently _modify_ their agreement, starting with her.

March trumped in with, "Madera, if it isn't any trouble…" hoping to defuse some of the tension he could see building.

Hayes helped out by adding "I'll give her a hand, Sir. Come on Madera, I think there is some of that boar meat left." And the two of them walked out of the room.

March sighed within himself but felt as if he'd only put a bandage on a wound that was too deep to ever heal.

The men and apes worked out the details of Grazot's plan most of that day and into the late hours of the night. Next they gathered essential supplies and prepared for their departure and long journey ahead.

It was good thing they were leaving too, March thought. Grazot ate threes the amount of both Hayes and himself combined. And he ate everything too; Leaves, meat, wild vegetables. He'd even eaten some of their K-rations. Another week and there wouldn't be any on the island left to eat, except each other.

They were able to use a combination of debris from the old loading dock and pieces of furniture from the mansion to create a makeshift boat that would hold their supplies and equipment. Hayes had rigged a tow cable and stabilized it as best as he could. They were still pushing the weight limit of the survival raft but as March saw it they didn't have much of a choice.

After a long sleep and one final meal they set off for the mainland.


	11. Chapter 11: The Capture

**A half mile off the Eastern Sea Board – North of Arum City – 0318 hrs EST**

The lake was usually calm at night. And the darkness provided cover. But things were not going precisely as planned. The wind had picked up due to an approaching rainstorm. And the lake was anything but calm. The four passengers jostled as another wave rocked against the craft, splashing water across their faces. Madera flinched as the chilly water hit like a tiny barrage of artillery. The wind that followed made it feel like her insides were about to freeze.

Grazot and March were trying their best to steer the craft but the effort had proven itself a futile one. The blustery weather and choppy waters were tossing the craft in all directions. Hayes was doing what he could to ensure the equipment was secure but that too was causing issues. As the vessel jerked left the equipment would pull right, literally tearing the rubber boat apart. His fractured rib hindered any serious attempt he made to stabilize the drag.

"I can't hold it, Tom." Hayes stated as the life-raft took in more and more water. The weight of the two apes combined with those of the humans was too great. Every time Grazot or Madera shifted their massive bulk the integrity of the craft was compromised all the more.

"Do s-something." Madera cried as cold lake water streaked down her legs and side. She was on the verge of panic and half seasick from all the bumping and knocking. March had been attempting to calm her with little luck. He tried to keep her concentrated on bailing out the water but even that it was turning out to be futile.

"Madera!" March stated sternly. "Get a grip or you'll die out here and take all of us with you".

Madera had worked on The Pond in her youth and had actually been out in its depth several times but that was almost three decades earlier. She was older and age had diminished the immature risk taking associated with one's youth.

"We're sinking. Wh-wha-at do …we do?" she said ignoring March's plea. She wasn't intentionally ignoring the man. Her fear wasn't allowing her to focus on much else.

"Madera!" March yelled, feeling his temper and frustration building. He reached out and put his hand on her arm just as the wind pressed another huge wave of cold water against both of them. Then thunder hit, followed by a streak of lightening that lit the lake up in a vibrant flash.

Call it bad timing or just bad luck. But the combination of events caused Madera to unthinkingly jerk forward. Her leg and paw thrust involuntary and ripped through the, already weakened, seam of the craft. She roared in panic as she realized she was about to slip into the cold, black water.

Water began to spill into the boat as it rapidly began to fill. Madera grabbed March's forearm so hard, he thought she was going to crush it. "Ahhh…" he moaned involuntarily as the pain shot through his arm.

"Help me Tom March. Help me. Please." Madera repeated as she tightened her grip with each combination of the words. Not knowing what else to do Tom March bit into Madera's paw in a desperate attempt for release. Madera wailed and flung the astronaut several feet into the air and over the side of the craft like he was a crumpled piece of paper. March hit the surface of the choppy lake, face first and gulped in a small bit of water down the wrong _pipe_. The life jacket he was wearing kept his head from completely whiplashing as he hit.

"Tom!" Hayes shouted as the splash drew his attention to his colleague. He unlatched a rope that was fixed firmly to a circular handle on the outer portion of the raft. Next, he flung it in the direction of the Air Force Major. The wind caught the cord and tossed it every which way as it got lost in darkness.

_He's dead_ Grazot thought not realizing that humans didn't sink as apes did.

General Grazot, who was notably controlling his demeanor, had just realized he too could die and that 50% his _investment_ was about sink to the bottom of The Great Fish Pond. That realization began to play itself out with direct intervention. He balled up his paw and _backhanded_ the panicking chimpanzee with as much force as he could awkwardly muster. Madera winced as blood and spittle shot out of her mouth. Her limp body began to slouch and sink as consciousness turned to a blissful bright-white void. Grazot then reached out and plucked her comatose-like body and pulled it back into the craft, placing her just opposite of him, to help distribute the weight.

"Human! What do we do?" Grazot Braked out as rain began to fall. He wiped his brow and snorted, internally cursing the foul weather.

"We'll fill with water but the craft is designed to stay afloat. We'll be wet but the outer portions will keep us from sinking completely. …Unless we capsize. Hold on to those grips. They're designed for this sort of thing. At least the wind is dying down now that it's raining" Hayes answered. He then turned his attention back to March. "Sir, are you…"

"I'm here and I'm ok" March broken in, huffing, puffing and still coughing out the filthy lake water. He was grasping the rope Hayes had tossed out. _Thank God for life preservers_, he thought as he pulled himself closer to the boat.

"We've got more to worry about than the boat." March claimed as he jerked his head towards the shore.

The wind and current had pushed them awkwardly about but it had also pulled them closer to the shore. The noise had alerted a patrol from a nearby outpost. Several apes were gathering on the shoreline. Muskets were loaded and pointing in their direction.

"Ok _partners_…_"_ Grazot said snidely "…Showtime. Do _exactly_ as I say and do not speak. March, open that pouch" Grazot motioned to zipped pocket of the man's uniform. March gave him an inquisitive look but unzipped the pocket as he'd been instructed.

The rain began to beat down harder and harder. A voice was calling from the shoreline. They were still too far out to make it out clearly but from the gestures he could tell they were not the friendliest of expressions. A few oil lamps helped light up the shore line as more and more were brought forward. Lightening flashed off in the distance vaguely outlining the vast outpost.

"Tom, it's pouring. Let's fight it out. Those pea-shooters they have won't even fire in this rain." Hayes said.

"No, human. We go ashore and you follow my lead. You start shooting and you'll be dead. As will the rest of us. …Unless you think their bayonets won't work in the rain either. That outpost is our main training facility in this area. There are over five thousand gorillas stationed there. Now keep quiet." Grazot said as if he were correcting one of his field officers in combat.

March looked at Hayes and said, "He's right, look how many there are just on the shoreline, Jonny. Rifles or not: you've seen how agile they can be. We'd use everything we have left and then what? We'd be on the edge of _nowhere_ unable to defend ourselves. And we're in no shape to navigate around it either. We don't have a choice except to follow his lead and see how it plays out."

What was left of the craft was full of water as it reached the shoreline. Grazot looked back and whispered, "Keep your mouths shut and do as you're told." He tilted his head slightly and took a second as his eyes locked specifically on Hayes. Hayes got the meaning of the silent message and _saluted_ sarcastically; Just as a Soviet soldier would have before blindly following orders.

"Humans!" a gorilla lieutenant shouted, as he saw March struggling against the waves. "They're humans…" A few Gorillas attempted to fire but the rain wasn't allowing it. _Clack_ was the only sound their rifles made.

"Hold your fire, you idiots & bring me a lamp" the ape lieutenant shouted as he moved forward.

"Who's in charge here?" General Grazot bellowed in a distinct authoritarian tone. He emerged from the water dragging Madera by the husk of her neck.

"Gaa-General Grazot, S-Sir? I didn't…" The lieutenant answered, somewhat confused and looking solely at the two men. "We thought you were surely dead."

"Get your eyes on me, Lieutenant. I just asked you a question. Where is your garrison commander?" Grazot said as he then turned to a group of soldiers who were close by. "And you shackle those animals and put them in a holding cell. They are not to be harmed. I want this female arrested, as well, but have a medic look at her first." Grazot tossed Madera several feet in the air. She landed with a thud by the gorilla's he'd just spoken to.

"You…Sergeant…over there" He went on pointing to another group. "Secure that equipment. Get it to shore and put it _there" _he continued pointing to a nearby tree. "And no one is to touch it."

To add effect Grazot paused slightly and then blurted something similar in an angry and impatient tone. Grazot jostled the lieutenant who was looking at the humans like they were sprits from the grave.

The lieutenant flinched and almost dropped the lantern he was holding. As his wits returned he began shouting orders of his own. Gorillas swarmed the two men and Madera, who was still unconscious and now had a small cut on her face thanks to the General's _gentle toss_. Iron shackles were placed on the wrists and ankles of both humans and the unconscious chimp.

And like any military, rank had its privileges. "You heard the General, secure that crate." The Sergeant ordered. The remaining gorillas weren't very excited about being ordered into the muddy water to retrieve the odd looking crate. And _justice_ fell on the two lowest ranking foot-apes who swore louder with each step they took.

Grazot moved his way through the gorilla squad to the two humans. He proceeded to search them. As he twisted March around he offhandedly slipped an object into the unzipped pocket in his uniform. He then checked Hayes and ordered that the two men be taken away immediately.

"Grazot!" A recognizable voice said as the familiar figure approached on horseback. Grazot turned to see General Zuglanus. "A word, General" He added motioning for Grazot to step aside.

General Zuglanus dismounted and turned to the remaining group of gawking apes. He ordered them to resume their duties and do exactly as Grazot had instructed. The last thing he wanted to convey was some sort of contention within the leadership.

As soon as the two commanding generals were out of earshot Zuglanus began to fire a barrage of inquiry. "We thought you were surely dead, Grazot! What's going on? What's in that crate? Where are Gondar and the other soldiers?" I've been given orders to return you to Arum…under house arrest. Ndola and Sullen are accusing you of treason, of consorting with those animals, who a few weeks ago seemed about as harmful as a field mouse. Your little _entrance_ here has half the outpost on alter and by now someone is surely riding to Arum to report your return. I've never known you to be disloyal, my friend, but…"

Grazot cut him off by raising his paw. He knew his time was short and meeting Zuglanus like this was an opportunity he had to take advantage of quickly.

"Disloyal? We're being lied to and manipulated, _Zig_ and not for our protection; But to control us like common cattle. By Ndola, Sullen, in what we've been taught from our youth. You would doubt even the air you breathe if you witnessed what those so-called animals are capable of. I know this was presented to us in Kawaka but they are not savage barbarians and they posses the keys to a power that rivals anything either of us could fathom. Arrest me, if you must, but you have to see this goes before The Council. This needs to be public. Ndola must not be given the chance to suppress this quietly. And Sullen and Ndola must know nothing of that cargo." Grazot concluded pointing to the supplies he'd had placed under the tree.

"The Council? And just how am I to accomplish that? You'll be sent to Kuo Province…if you're lucky" General Zuglanus stated.

"You're the ranking military official on the ground. Conduct an investigation or interviews." Grazot explained. "Argue for a formal court-martial …failure to obey orders …insubordination …whatever will stick. Don't let them use this _treason_ hogwash to banish me of to some remote Province. …Or worse."

There was a natural pause and then the General went on. "I know you Zig. We are very much alike. We both know what Ndola and Sullen think of Gorillas. These humans possess a means to an end, my friend. With just a handful of their contraptions we could show them all…"

"That is _treason_, my friend!" Zuglanus replied.

Grazot beat his chest with a balled up paw and shot back. "I'll tell you what's treasonous, General; intentionally holding back know-how that can save simian lives, quarantining our boarders based on scare tactics, holding our citizens' hostage based on ignorance, lies, and on a false history. They talk of threats, of superior wonders and then arm us against it with sticks and stones."

Grazot paused as he noticed a group approaching in the morning light. The rain was still coming down hard but he assumed it was the garrison commander and his staff.

Grazot went on quickly and lowered his tone. He looked the General directly in the eyes. "Get me in front of The Council, Zig. You owe me that much. Here, take this. It will give your argument some weight." Grazot said handing Zuglanus the human pistol. "Now arrest me before they toss you in jail with me."

**Arum City – the temporary City Capital Building. Approximately, 2 days later**

"My apologies gentleapes, the actual Capital Building was destroyed in the recent …_fire_. This building isn't as elaborate, but it will suffice." Sullen said as he addressed the group. "General Zuglanus what do you have to report."

Not all of The Council was present. However, several had journeyed to Arum from Kawaka to see the extent of the damage themselves. Most were doing it strictly for PR and show but a few were there out of curiosity and fear.

"Honorable Council, I thank you for your time" he said with reverence as he nodded his head in respect. "General Grazot is under house arrest, as you ordered, Lord Prefect. He's claiming that he was only doing his duty. That he was ordered to find the humans, _at any cost_…By you Magistrate…" Zuglanus paused as he pointed towards Ndola. "I retrieved the human pistol when I searched at the outpost. However its ordinance has been extinguished."

Zuglanus held up the pistol and placed it on the desk where Ndola was seated.

Ndola raised a brow as he felt his blood pressure rise, paw-in-paw, with his temper. But he remained silent. He simply took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, gritting his teeth slightly. Grazot had played him for a fool but for now that would have to wait.

Zuglanus continued, "Captain Gondar, five gorilla foot-apes and the crew hired to navigate The Pond are all dead. They died _defending our way of life_, as General Grazot put it. They were attacked in the water, before they reached shore, by an unknown number of armed humans; Again, according to the General's report."

That statement stirred the room up as if a hornets nest had jest been tossed into their midst. Grumbling and angry rhetoric broke out as each member of The Council began to speak their opinions in unison.

"An unknown number of armed humans?" Councilape Malrep blurted out. "General, are you claiming that human tribes inhabit the landmasses on the pond? And they are armed, as well."

"Armed with what?" another voice asked?

"Preposterous" a third ape shouted. "We purged this area long ago."

"Gentleapes" Sullen shouted as he beat his balled paw against his desk. The old piece of furniture actually splintered from the force, adding a subtle effect to the orangutan's bellow.

He went on to a suddenly silent room. "You are all well aware of our situation. You are all well aware of our history and of the human disease. It has been over a hundred years since we purged the territories. We all assumed the human threat was neutralized in the purging or exterminated by the great weapon that went off all those years ago. Obviously, these animals have regrouped somehow. Our objective here is clear. Two of the beasts were captured on General Grazot's return. They are to be questioned, under torture if necessary; as well as that female. If they reveal any discrepancies in the General's testimony he will experience his own personal _purging_. The Humans will be sent to Kawaka. Arum is under construction and the sooner we leave, the sooner it can get back to normal."

Sullen paused looking at a few of the council members who began mumbling. They noticed the silent stare and gestured a nonverbal apology. "…As I was saying gentleapes…Grazot needs to be removed as Contingent commander and sent to Kuo. However, if it is proven that he has acted treasonously; I can see no other option than death."

Again there was grumbling and contention as Councilape Proteus rose from his chair and spoke up. "Forgive me Prefect. I agree with your assessment and conclusion but I'd like to hear the rest of the General's report. I have a few questions; like how did the General happen to be _lucky_ enough to be the sole survivor? And just how did he get the upper paw against, _an unknown number of armed humans_? How did he manage to capture two of them and navigate that odd craft? We have all seen the destructive devices they forge. Have we not? One of which is sitting right here staring at us."

"I can speak to that, Councilape Proteus. Of course I am simply reciting what was told to me during my interrogation with General Grazot. And might I add that nothing has proven that would incriminate General Grazot. And this is an investigation gentleapes, not a trial …Shall I continue Prefect or do we want to bring General Grazot forward and have him shot right here?" Zuglanus mockingly said.

Sullen shook his head and motioned for Zuglanus to continue. "Go on General, but please watch your tone when you address this Council. I will not allow this situation to result in circus theatrics"

General Zuglanus filled the Simian Council in with as much information as he could. He also informed them that he had spoken with the humans, against the Magistrates' wishes, but it had been necessary to fully substantiate what was true and what was not.

Grazot stated that he had overpowered the animals using, _the assets available_, to overcome his obstacles. In other words, he used his superior physical abilities in conjunction with the human pistol he had …_borrowed_. Zuglanus pointed out that the humans were injured. One suffered from a bruised mid-section and the other had mildly wounded left arm; according to the veterinarian exam he authorized.

"You exposed a veterinarian to the human's, General? What were you thinking?" Ndola interrupted.

"Magistrate, do not speak to me as if I were some dimwitted clown. This charade we're presenting fools no one. Talk of humans is on the tongue of every ape in this city and throughout the coast. The garrison patrol that captured them is well aware of the _situation_, Sir. They saw these creatures first hand. So to address your concerns: They said nothing. They were instructed, under penalty of death, how to conduct themselves. I also had the animals muzzled, so they _would not bite_. And let me state it again; it is a disservice to this investigation to not fully substantiate the truth or jump to rash judgments based on heightened emotions." The General shot back.

Of the three Generals that commanded the ape militia, Zuglanus was the most outspoken. He did not have Grazot's gift of self-control and did not posses the political prowess that Supreme General Narr displayed. Narr was ruthless and direct but only in battle. Zuglanus was _always_ direct and it often had him walking a fine line between military professionalism and insubordination. He and Ndola had, had their differences in the past and often butted heads where policy and protocol was concerned. But everyone had _their differences_ where Ndola was concerned.

The fact that he was so frank made him popular with his subordinates. One always knew where the General stood and what the General thought.

The debriefing went on for another hour and a half before the General was dismissed. After he left, The Council bantered amongst themselves for an additional forty-five minutes as to how best to proceed. They would have probably argued most of the day if a few of the more _stout_ apes hadn't begun to complain of hunger, insisting that they recess, for supper.

They were all in agreement that the humans were to be ruthlessly questioned and then killed but the there was a division on how to deal with General Grazot. Zuglanus had held back on information regarding the weapons cash and he never mentioned his questioning of Madera, either. Or that March had told him it was Madera who'd injured him and not the General.

The seeds of doubt and distrust were beginning to germinate and grow. There was big part of General Zuglanus that agreed with his counterpart under house arrest. Sullen and Ndola were hiding something. And were deathly afraid of those men. Who were they to dictate what _truth_ was? Who were they to exclusively decide what would and would not be _acceptable_ bounty from the coffers of human know-how? Zuglanus was no trader. He didn't care a bit about the talking animals either. But as he'd informed the Magistrate, he was no dimwitted fool. He wasn't going to allow his friend and comrade to be used as a scapegoat to further _the faith_. …To further a lie.

He'd done as Grazot requested. He'd initiated a formal investigation and had requested to present the case before The Council. He'd even argued for formal military criminal charges to be brought against Grazot.

And he could see where Grazot was going with it. Under the cover of a court-martial, he'd have a public forum to present his case. And he'd be presenting it to his fellow military officers. All to whom who were gorillas. All of whom who had a lust for power in one form or another.

It was time for him to find his own answers and with that thought General Zuglanus headed for the supply tent where he'd had Grazot's crate taken.


	12. Chapter 12  The Escape Part 1

**Arum City **

It had been almost a day and a half since the two men had been fed and even longer since their cage had been cleaned. The air was stale and humid. The floor consisted of dirt and cold stone and was littered with bug infested hay & straw.

The only fresh air came from a window that was slightly cracked. But it wasn't enough to make any type of difference.

The odor was horrible and had both men half sick. Neither had slept well as the smell of urine and feces grew worse each day. Fleas and bugs bit at the men constantly and they were still shackled and muzzled.

All of that had been done intentionally under the orders of Ndola. One thing the Magistrate knew was how to manipulate humans. He'd been exposed to enough of them over the years, in his study of the species. They were weak, comfort seeking, animals. Take that away and they were simply clay to be molded. They'd whimper and do exactly as they were told.

They'd been caged in an animal care hospital since Arum had no zoo. The hospital had been intentionally emptied. There were four gorillas guarding the room with instructions to kill anyone attempting to enter or exit without authorization.

Against the will of Sullen and Ndola and thanks to the persuasions of General Zuglanus, The Council had narrowly voted to bring formal charges against Grazot. It was decided this would be better than stripping him of command and sending him off where he'd be free to re-group. To appease Sullen and Ndola, The Council also agreed that Grazot would be shot, if _(when)_ he was found guilty.

It meant that Ndola would once again be returning to Kawaka. It seemed like all he did was travel theses days. He missed his wife and grandchildren and though he loathed the long journey back, it was welcomed if it meant reuniting him with his loved ones.

It also meant that he'd be carting the humans back, as well. There would not be enough time to extract the needed information before they departed. But that wouldn't be a problem. He was going to see that they were _pacified_ just enough so they could in no way cause trouble. And it would leave them ripe for the torture that waited.

They were also going to be sent to Kawaka ahead of the group that would be escorting the good General. Of course if things went his way the only trip Grazot would make would be one way, straight to the great ape. The female chimp who'd returned with them had already divulged enough information to guarantee Grazot's death. Ndola had no wish to let Grazot sing his poisonous lyrics to the ape militia.

The wooden door swung open as the chimpanzee veterinarian walked in, escorted by two of the four guards. The guards flinched as the stench from the room filled their nostrils.

"Oh my…What in…" was all the doctor could say as she covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her lab coat. She almost gagged at the smell. If these animals hadn't been captured with diseases, they were sure to be carrying them now, she contemplated.

"Who authorized this unsanitary treatment of these animals?" the doctor asked as she coughed and wrinkled her nose in disgust? She didn't wait for an answer and went on. "This is abusive and cruel. They are to be cleaned up at once. I can't treat them like this."

"Clean 'em yourself, Doc." Yuhn, the ranking guard stated briskly. "We were told to _guard_, not _nursemaid_ a couple of weak-backed pups.

The second guard chuckled and nodded, appreciating the gorilla Corporal's wit.

"Get out and take your poor attempt at humor with you." Dr. Lira said in an equally brisk tone as she pushed them towards the exit and flung open the window.

"Fleas?" she said as she noticed a few jumping on the floor. "That's all I need."

The doctor had been "hand" picked by Ndola. She led the medical team that cared for the soldier's horses while troops were in the field. Sullen had enlisted her help at the city zoo, as well. She'd been around all kinds of animals, including humans. So she wasn't spooked at their appearance like most of the simians in Arum.

The doctor was exceptionally good at her job, efficient and capable; a skilled animal physician and had operated on humans in Kawaka.

She had been given explicit instructions to keep the animals muzzled …since they had been captured _in the wild_. She didn't want to be bitten. After all, who knew what kind of diseases these creatures carried?

Dr. Lira went to a cabinet and retrieved a container of powder. She sprinkled some on her paws and arms and then did the same to her legs. After she was convinced she'd been sufficiently covered she sprinkled some on the floor and around the cage. Next she went to the wall where a rotating handle and lever were protruding. She turned the handle and pulled the lever.

The ceiling of the cage creaked and powder, similar to the doctors, showered the two men. Both of them gagged as the powder made it hard to breathe; especially since they were gagged.

"Easy fella" she said softly, looking at Hayes. "It's ok. We're gonna get you all cleaned up". She reached in gently touched the edge of his head, petting him like one would a dog or cat.

That was when she paused. The hideous conditions had her so preoccupied that she hadn't noticed it until now. _Their clothes. How odd_, she thought to herself. _I've never seen animal coverings like this."_ She shrugged it off with a shake of her head and went back to her task.

The doctor scratched her neck, hoping it wasn't a flea, and retrieved a bottle from the nearby cabinet. She poured its liquid into a rag, entered the cage and waved the aroma under the nose of both men. The two astronauts fell unconscious.

**Arum City – Military Operation Tent**

"General Zuglanus, Sir. Welcome back" the gorilla Operations Officer said as he rose from his desk and saluted.

Zuglanus returned the salute and listened for about five minutes as his staff officers filled him in on the mundane details of the day. As soon as the formalities of the day were complete Zuglanus went to the back of the tent where a make-shift command center had been set up. It was sectioned off and designed to give the General a place to plan and organize, without distractions.

He took a look around and then grinned as he glanced at the empty spot in the rear of the tent. _They took the bait_ he thought to himself as he noticed the _decoys_ he'd left behind were gone.

Experience and general mistrust of Ndola had paid off. He had a feeling Ndola would search his command post. He knew he had to give something to appease the overzealous cynic or he'd never get off his back; nothing of significance, of course, just a little morsel that would satisfy the Magistrate's suspicions and corroborate his findings during the investigation.

Zuglanus had put a medium sized wooden box in the corner of the tent. In it he'd placed a few _items of interest_, as it were. Along with a parchment that stated _Military Evidence_. The chest contained; some maps, pieces of the craft, the life-preservers the human wore when they were captured, and a few other items just as convincing, but also just as worthless.

He walked out of the command center and then out of the command post, itself, to make his rounds. About thirty yards away was a stable where he housed his horse. He walked in, patted the steed lovingly, and gave her a little sugar and a kiss on the snout. He dismissed the soldier who had just saddled her and told him to draw the doors on his way out.

"Very good, Sir. Your horse has been brushed, fed and is saddled. You can take her out as soon as you're ready.' The ape private stated.

"Thank you, Private Gar." The General replied.

As soon as Private Gar had left, he walked over to a stack of sealed food and grooming supplies. He unlocked a simple looking crate and flipped it open. The best place to hide something was in plain sight.

"Ok Grazot, let's see what's so mystifying that you'd sacrifice your career and even your life." Zuglanus mumbled as he picked up an M-103 and eyed the weapon. Just as his counterpart had noticed, Zuglanus was amazed at the precision and detail. "Fascinating" He said as he eyed the rifle's detail. It was much lighter than it looked. He eagerly wished to fire the weapon but of course did not. For all he knew it would bring down the stable.

He placed it down and picked up an odd looking device. It was similar to a surveyor's looking glass but fit over both eyes. He brought the device up and gazed through…_nothing_ he thought as he tried to peer through the lenses.

As he examined the device closer he noticed a small _switch_ on its side. He pushed it forward. He could vaguely see the word _on_ engraved on the side. Once again, he brought the Night Vision Goggles up to his eyes and gawked through. The view startled him as the semi-dark interior of the stable lit up with a green glow as if the roof had just been removed.

He shut the mechanism off and dropped it back into the crate. "It isn't possible", he said looking at the goggles like they were smithed by _the evil one_ himself.

"Oh but it is possible, General, very possible." A voice said as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Even a brainless oaf like you should realize that now."

Zuglanus jumped with surprise and squinted at the approaching figure. "Magistrate?" He said somewhat confused.

"Quite predictable, General. I knew if I followed you, you would eventually lead me to the human devices. General Grazot's poisonous obsession with these…_things_…seems to be a bit contagious, eh General?" Ndola said.

Zuglanus, who was still startled at the sudden intrusion and simply stared at the Magistrate.

"Did you think that little basket of trinkets, in your command center, was going fool me? I knew the spell these humans cast would charm you just as it did to General Grazot. The female was most helpful once she got the message that I was serious. I assured her that if she fully cooperated her life would be spared and she would be set free. I killed her of course as the human disease had sunk its claws into her as well. Oh, but not before she told me of the supplies they were towing and of the agreement the humans made with Grazot. So yes, my dear, traitorous, General, it would seem that quite a lot of things are possible theses days." Ndola said as he stepped closer.

"I'm no traitor, Magistrate. But I am becoming a defector from what you consider; _the truth_. You're a fool, Magistrate, if you think we can stand up to this kind of …of… sophistication. While you have us running around with _horsewhips_ this tribe carries weapons crafted by the gods. We ought to be arming ourselves with stone, not paper you arrogant blind bureaucrat" Zuglanus stated boldly

Ndola scowled in arrogance as he shuffled through the crate of human artifacts. "I let this get messy. You are right General, I am a fool; A fool to think that a gorilla could comprehend anything beyond the aiming a musket and the pulling of a trigger. But do not panic my simple-minded friend. That is all about to be rectified. The female is dead. And your counterpart under house arrest is being dealt with as I speak. And that leaves just you, my dear General."

"Spare me your idol threats Magistrate. Not everyone on the council shares your pathetic stance." Zuglanus said as he instinctively unsheathed his saber.

Ndola turned and pointed a 9mm pistol at Zuglanus. He pulled the trigger and finished his monologue with; "Good-bye General." Something that sounded like thunder caused Ndola to flinch slightly just before he fired the weapon.

The bullet punched into the top-right of the General's chest. His leather armor barely slowed the projectile, despite being laced with thin strands of iron. Zuglanus staggered as primal anger skyrocketed. He jumped at Ndola and grabbed his throat like a vice. Ndola inadvertently fired another shot as his grip tightened and he was slammed to the ground.

The horses jumped and neighed from the sound. One kicked at the stable in a display of panic.

Zuglanus drove the oversized dagger into the throat of Ndola. The Magistrate's eyes got wide as he choked on his own blood. Next, the General grabbed the knife with both hands and proceeded to drive the blade into Ndola's skull, just as the stable doors swung open.

"General! That noise… I…" A voice shouted then stopped as he witnessed the blade split the Magistrate's skull in two. The shocked soldier turned and ran shouting as he left.

_What have I done?_ shot through the General's mind as he realized he'd just thrown his life away. _How in the hell am I going to explain this?_

Zuglanus was covered in blood. Some of it his, but most of it was from Ndola. His horse kicked at the stable wall and snapping him out of the shock he was feeling.

"I have to get to Grazot." He said as he grabbed the pistol and mounted his horse.

**Arum City – Animal Control Center, 30 minutes earlier**

"Have you ever seen one before, Chon?" the guard asked as he stared down at the unconscious humans strapped to the table in the rooms center?

"Just at the zoo, when I was a child, but never this close." Yuhn answered as he held up the oil lamp to study the human's features in greater detail.

Yuhn set the lamp down, walked to the table and grabbed the animal by the fur of its head. "I don't see what's so damn special here that requires four guards." he mumbled as he abruptly let go of the human's hair, watching the head _thud_ against the wood.

Cohn laughed and commented on their scrawny frame and size and then added; "At least the Doc cleaned 'em up some. Their smell was beginning seep from their room. By the way, what's keeping her?"

"Don't know, she said something about getting some skins to cover them with and grabbing some operating instruments. But if you ask me they still smell awful. Maybe I should help clean them some more." Yuhn chuckled as he took a wet cloth from the basin of water and squeezed it over the unconscious face of March.

March was still muzzled and began to cough and flinch as cold water ran down his face and into his nostrils.

"Oh you like that, huh? Here have more then." Yuhn said jokingly. He laughed as he poured some of the bucket water onto March's body.

"What are you doing, Corporal?" A stern voice yelled, surprising the guard.

"Doctor Lira, I was uh…" Yuhn said, trying to think of a colorfully witted response that would shadow the embarrassment he was feeling. But nothing came.

"Put that down and go fill two more buckets. I'll need it for their treatment since you two adolescences ruined this batch. And get me some salt from the supply stores while you're out." She said to the two juvenile soldiers.

"But Doc we're not supposed to leave our post." Chon said in protest.

"You'll do what I say or so help me I'll add this little incident in my report to the Magistrate. Besides there are still two other guards here. If you hurry you can be there and back before my report is done." Doctor Lira replied.

The two guards left the room and did as the doctor instructed. She laid the animal skins on a table and picked the sopping rag off of March's arm. March was now conscious with a horrible headache. He blinked his eyes a few times and snorted water out of his nose.

The doctor put the wet rag back into the bucket, dried his chest, arms, and head as gently as she could. March tried to speak but the muzzle made it impossible to recognize.

"Easy boy, easy there. You're still supposed to be asleep. You do not want to be awake right now, trust me." She said softly, smiling at him.

March shivered as his body was beginning to react to the water and to the fact that he was naked. He noticed fragments of their shredded uniforms on the floor behind the doctor. But there was something he saw that raised his brow. A grenade was sitting on a table next to the bucket of water.

_Grazot_ March thought. _He slipped that into my pocket when he 'searched' me._

Doctor Lira opened the door of the lab and told the guards that under no circumstances were they to enter. "I have to get a sedative. One of them is conscious, thanks to those two clowns. They're to be demasculinized before they leave. Ndola wants their aggressions neutralized" March heard her say as she shut the door.

The two guards laughed as one said to the other. "No litter of pups in their future, eh Kiran?"

_Demasculinize__d? _He thought to himself inquisitively, comparing it with,_ their aggression neutralized_ …_castrated! Oh hell no!_

Tom March twisted at his wrists. The water he'd been doused with by Yuhn had caused the tight leather bands to soften and slightly expand. Not much but it was enough. As he twisted he simultaneously pulled.

_Thank God these creatures haven't progressed past the dark-ages_, March thought as the leather extended slightly.

His right hand popped out and a few tugs later he had the left one free. He unlatched the strap around his waist, freed his legs and finally removed the muzzle. He took in a deep breath and rubbed his chafed cheeks beneath his thickening beard.

March was weak with hunger and still groggy from the sedative he'd been given. His body was stiff and cramped but was slowly improving as his adrenalin levels rose and his blood began to process greater amounts of oxygen, circulating it through his aching limbs.

He tried to scan the room as his mind was begging _just let me rest._ His uniform was in rags. He was naked. His skin itched from bug bites. He was hungry. He was cold. There were no windows. And only one way in or out.

"Get a F#!ing grip, Major." An inner-voice said as he struggled mentally for any options that would get him out of this mess.

That same tiny voice from within spoke once again. This time it whispered two words; _the grenade_ …yes the grenade. He snatched it up. He had no idea what to do with it but felt better knowing he was armed…with something.

He looked at Hayes who was still unconscious. He loosened the restraints of his companion but left him intentionally muzzled. As quietly as possible he made his way towards the opposite table.

He slipped on one of the animal skins. It was baggy and smelled awful but at least he wasn't nude. Next, he drew the wet rag from the half empty bucket and dabbed water on the face of Hayes.

Hayes jerked and mumbled as he was snatched back into the real world. It took a second for him to gain his composure. March held his a finger to his lips signaling for Hayes to stay quite as he removed the muzzle.

Hayes wasn't sure what he was seeing. March looked like a mix between a caveman and a hillbilly from the woods of Tennessee. He propped himself up and was surprised to notice that his side was wrapped. The pressure on his ribs made moving around, less painful.

He gazed at March, still wondering if he was asleep, and held his hands up, gesturing the phrase; _what's going on?_

March grabbed the second set of skins and motioned for Hayes to _get dressed_. As quietly as he could and through the use of hand signals he informed Hayes that two guards were beyond that door.

Hayes rubbed his eyes and massaged his temples in an attempt to relieve the massive headache pounding in his skull.

"What are we gonna do, Tom?" Where the hell are we and what happened to Grazot and his _big plans_?" Hayes whispered.

"We're gonna use this." March whispered back, holding up the grenade.

Anticipating Hayes's next question, he continued; "Grazot slipped it to me when we landed. He must have known we'd need it. Listen, Jonny we don't have a lot of time. That ape doctor is on her way back here and two of the four guards are gone. She's returning with more of that sedative. If we can jump her when she enters the room maybe we can sedate her and possibly the guards. If not, we pull this pin and take cover behind the table."

"Jump her?" Hayes answered, in a bleary tone, still rubbing his eyes. "Look Tom, she's no gorilla but is still twice as strong as you and me combined and then some on top of that. And I feel like crap. The best I could do is _fall_ on her"

"It's that or we toss this thing out as soon as that door opens and take our chances from there. Once this blows this whole place will hear it and we'll be weaponless." March said.

"I say we do it, Tom. We don't know where we are and maybe by some miracle, Grazot will come through." Hayes said.

March paused for a split-second as he looked around the room, one last time, hoping there might be something else they could use to their advantage. _The lamp_, he concluded as an idea jumped into his head.

Mumbling from outside caught his attention. The two guards were returning.

"Jonny, hurry, help me tip this." March whispered as he grabbed one end of the huge table.

They quickly put the table on its side and March ordered his friend to take cover behind it. Next, March grabbed the lamp and crept towards the door. He swung it open as fast as he could and yelled "Boo!"

The startled Gorillas jumped as March smashed the lamp at their feet. The two soldiers wailed in agony as the oily flames instantly engulfed their paws and legs, climbing higher and higher. Their roar was deafening and sounded utterly savage. 

The gorillas hit the ground patting and rolling but the effort was useless. The sweet smell of burning flesh mixed with the rancid aroma of their smoldering fur made March vomit.

Corporal Yuhn ran towards the room but the bodies the guards and the flames cut him short. He raised his musket instinctively and fired at March as he was trying to shut the door. The lead ball sailed through the air and took a small chunk of meat off the base of his shoulder and neck.

Blood shot in every direction as it ripped through the flesh and ricocheted off the door. March twisted and fell flat on his side grabbing at the wound.

Hayes jumped up as soon as he heard the shot and witnessed his friend fall. He moved around the table, grabbed the grenade, pulled the pin and tossed towards the flames. He snatched up March and they both took cover.

The explosion shook the building and splintered the door. Dirt and fragments sprayed the hall and room but the table provided enough cover to shield the two men from the brunt of the blast.

"Come on Tom we have to move now. I don't know where we are but this place is going to be crawling with apes" Hayes said as he helped March to his feet. "Here, put this on your neck. It will help with the bleeding." Hayes added grabbing the wet rag.

The men made their way to the door moaning each time their bare feet stepped on the rough fragments that were once a door. The blast from the grenade had snuffed some of the flame. What was left of Yuhn and the smoldering guards was splattered the floor and walls.

Hayes pushed forward with March following close behind. Cohn was lying at the end of the hall, obviously, in shock. He appeared to be alive but critically injured. Shrapnel had sprayed his chest and face. Blood was coming from his ears, probably a result of the noise the explosion had made. Even if he lived it was apparent he'd never see again.

"Easy there." Hayes said, doing his best to sound like a gorilla. He felt a bit dimwitted. "I'm here to help."

The soldier moaned and tried to move but his equilibrium had other plans.

"Just sit still." Hayes said. He unlatched the soldier's equipment belt, as well as his pistol and a saber. He motioned for March to grab the musket on the floor as he tied the belt around his waist. The musket was damaged but possibly repairable. Finally Hayes took off the gorilla's boots. They were huge but it was better than going barefoot.

"We need to move, Jonny, but I'm hemorrhaging out too much blood." March stated as he removed the bloody rag. "Give me the blade."

March took the saber and put the end of it in the closest flame. Once the tip was glowing with a reddish-orange hue he handed it to Hayes and pointed to his neck as he shoved the rag into his mouth.

Hayes looked at him a second but March shut his eyes, bit on the rag, and motioned for Hayes to proceed. The pain shot through March like a needle in his brain as the hot iron fused the wound. He dropped to his knees and gave out a muffled wail as his skin burned and the bullet wound finally cauterized.

It took a second for March to get his wits back. The throbbing pain increased with the slightest turn of his head. He spit the refuse from the rag onto the ground and longed for something to drink. He used the broken down musket as a crutch to help him move as the two men made their way down the hall and ended up back towards the room where they'd been originally caged.

They rounded the corner to see Dr Lira coming down the hall. The sight of the two men shocked her as their eyes met. Hayes raised the pistol and said "Stop right there."

Dr Lira, who had already stopped, blinked, "It spoke!" she said to herself out loud and in disbelief.

"Look, I can do more than that. How do we get out of here?" Hayes continued, stepping closer and pointing the pistol at her head.

"You can actually talk? And you're not mimicking, you're reasoning. Unbelievable." Dr Lira replied, so surprised the she ignored the pistol pointed at her head.

"Yes, I talk and I can dress myself too. But you'd better start talking fast because I can also shoot." Hayes answered in frustration.

"Amazing. I always assumed that man had no understanding. That he could be taught a few simple tricks. Nothing more" She said eyeing the features of the man's face. She reached up to touch him but hayed stepped back, lowered the pistol and raised the blade, silently signaling that he might cut into her paw if it reached any closer.

"I'm not going to say it again. You tell me how to get out and we'll be on our way. If you don't I'll shoot you right here and leave your …" Hayes never finished the sentence. Several feet away he heard the sound of doors crashing open and voices shouting.

"Give me that lamp you're carrying." March said as he grabbed it from the doctor and tossed it down the corridor.


	13. Chapter 13: The Escape Part 2

**Arum City – Military Detention Facility**

General Grazot woke from his sleep to the sound of shouting just outside his window. Several Apes were talking about a fire that had broken out just blocks away. Others were claiming a small earthquake had shaken the ground, close by.

"What now?" Grazot muttered. He quickly arose from his cot and wrapped on the door of his cell, demanding that the Sergeant of the Guard report.

Grazot had to pound and yell for what seemed like ten minutes before the Sergeant unlocked the door and stepped in. He briskly saluted and said "What can I do for you, Sir? Are you hungry?"

"No I'm not hungry, Sergeant. What in blazes kept you? And what is all that commotion and talk of a fire?" Grazot shot back

"I don't know the details Sir, but it the Animal Hospital caught fire. I apologize for the delay. I was talking with a soldier about another matter. He's half spooked but he claims that someone attacked General Zuglanus. …that it sounded an awful lot like that experimental new pistol we tested last month…" Sergeant Lhind stated.

_Animal Hospital …pistol…The Humans_, Grazot mumbled. They'd obviously used that device he'd slipped them and were trying to escape. If they succeeded without him he'd never find them. And they'd probably die without his intervention anyway.

"Attacked? By who? Those bureaucratic morons lock me up and all hell breaks loose" Grazot yelled. "I want a weapon and a horse." The General continued, stepping out of his cell towards the front of the Detention Center.

"Uh, Sir, the Magistrate gave …" the sergeant began to say but Grazot whisked him away with the swing of his paw.

"I may be under house arrest, but I'm still a Contingent General until it's otherwise decided." Grazot said as he grabbed the nearest musket and exited the front of the building.

Outside several horses tied to a post were eating grass as others drank from the trough. They were used for local patrols and correspondence purposes. Grazot mounted the closest steed and galloped towards the smoke he could see rising from the burning building.

As he approached he noticed something irregular_. What is a Special Group doing here?_ Grazot thought as he noticed the elite insignia on the Ape's uniform before him.

An ape Group Captain was directing the fire control effort. "General!" he said saluting hastily. "I'm Group Captain Frehber; I didn't expect to see you. There was a blast. We're almost in, Sir."

The apes had specialized units that focused on elite training. They were similar to a Special Forces unit, though more covert. They had been dubbed: _Special Groups_. Specially selected soldiers trained in deep reconnaissance, search and rescue, search and destroy and the like. Grazot had fought with a few Special Groups during the Territory Unifications when he was a Major. They were damn efficient at what they did. Some apes referred to them as Ghost-Units because when they'd strike you usually didn't realize it until they were about to slit your throat.

When the fire started, Group Captain Frehber and his unit had stepped up to contain the blaze. But it was odd, these were field units. They could be on leave but their uniforms were weathered and soiled; like they'd just arrived. And why spend your furlough in Arum. Arum wasn't exactly where one spent a Holiday. It was mainly a fishing town. The closest brothel was an hour's ride to the west. It had a few canteens but nothing to write home about.

The Group Captain paused and briefly turned his attention back towards the control effort. "Sergeant Niter, I told you to get those supplies moved back. Now get on it!"

Group Captain Frehber turned back to the General and went on; "Forgive me Sir but those are food and medical supplies. Anyway Sir, a unit attempted to enter earlier but the fire pushed them back. The growing flames delayed our initial efforts but we're starting to make progress."

Group Captain Frehber cleared his throat and took a big swallow from a goat skinned canteen of water. "I've cleared out all nonessential personnel and a second water cart is on the way. We don't know how it started but the ground shook and possibly knocked over a lamp."

"Good work, Group Captain. Is anyone in there?" Grazot asked.

"Some guards were stationed there, Sir and a doctor has been coming and going. I'm not sure if she was in there when the quake hit." The group Captain replied.

"I'm going in with the first party. Make sure we have an ample supply of water. I don't want this fire to spread." Grazot said as he dismounted and handed the reigns to the nearest soldier.

"I'm already on it, Sir" Group Captain Frehber said hiding the fact that he felt like he'd just been insulted. He beckoned for a lieutenant. The lieutenant gave a couple of orders and made his way towards the two superior officers. He saluted as the Group Captain filled him in on the Generals wishes.

"You'll want to leave that here, Sir" the lieutenant said pointing to the musket. "I wouldn't take anything with powder into the building."

"Good point Lieutenant. Group Captain, give me your dagger." Grazot ordered

"Best way in as I can tell is through here, Sir. There are other ways in but if extinguishing the fire is our concern, that's the best approach. …In my opinion anyway, Sir." Lieutenant Zolus stated.

The Group Captain unsheathed the weapon, flipped it over, gracefully catching the flat of the blade, and handed it to Grazot. Grazot began to question the Lieutenant's plans in greater detail as the sound of galloping caught everyone's attention. A very bloody General Zuglanus rode up to the group.

"General Zuglanus? Let me get you a medic, Sir" Lieutenant Zolus said.

"In a minute Lieutenant. I-I need …to speak with General Grazot on an urgent matter first." Zuglanus huffed out with heavy breath.

Not wanting to draw attention to his already _colorful_ appearance he casually asked his friend for a word. He dismounted and almost fell due to the bullet lodged in his chest. Pain shot through his arm as his massive weight shifted.

Grazot helped the soldier steady himself and turned to the Group Captain saying; "Don't go in there without me." Frehber nodded and went back to coordinating the fire control.

"Don't you find it odd that a Special Unit is here?" Zuglanus said quietly.

"Where are the humans, Zig? Did they do this?" Grazot whispered.

"Forget about that for a moment. We have to leave, Grazot. Sullen has no intention of letting this _situation_ escalate. They know what you're planning. That female chimp told them everything." General Zuglanus declared as he explained what had just transpired between him and the Magistrate.

"Ndola is dead? I hated the old fool but…" Grazot claimed

"Do not pity that pompous cynic Grazot. You were next on his list. We have to get to Kawaka. There are apes on The Council who openly oppose Sullen and Ndola's views. We must make our case to them before Sullen does. I have a wife, Grazot, and children. I am not throwing that away." Zuglanus wheezed as he brought a paw to his bleeding chest.

"Get a wagon and provisions and make sure you secure that crate from the stable, as well. I'm going to see if those two men are alive. The Council may ignore us but it can't ignore the power they pose." Grazot answered.

Zuglanus grabbed Grazot by the arm and squeezed slightly. "Get those ambitions of conquest out of your head. Ndola is right about one thing; it's poisoning you. I will not kill another ape, General! My family is what I'm concerned with. But I most assuredly will kill those men if I have reason to. What has gotten into you Grazot? They're savage animals. You'd throw away your life, your career for a few magical toys?"

Grazot gazed at his friend and nodded. "Right now you need to worry about yourself. You look like hell. Go, do as I instructed and meet me back here as quickly as you can. I'll explain all of this."

Grazot turned his attention back to the burning building and called for the Lieutenant and a medic. He ordered them to ride with Zuglanus and help him secure the equipment. They were to return immediately, he insisted.

A huge wooden farm cart filled with water was placed in front of the animal hospital, as the one that was just emptied was removed. An ape was pumping away as a few others held a hose and doused the opening with blasts of water. As soon as the Group Captain was satisfied he gave the order for the second team to batter down the door.

The doors fell open as the flames and smoke licked up the sudden rush of oxygen. Mildly scorched apes jumped aside as the first crew sprayed the interior with water.

"Ok Sir it looks clear." A soldier said after a minute or two.

The troops moved into the building and began to pan out down the corridors. However they were abruptly stopped by the smoke and flames still burning where the water hadn't reached.

"Can anyone hear me?" The soldier yelled

Inside the building several feet away Jonathan Hayes held the ape dagger up and turned to March. "Throwing that second lamp bought us time but its getting damn hot in here and they're breaking through"

"There are too many outside for us to make a break. If we cover our faces we might be able to go out the window and slip into another building close by. Those trees there will provide enough cover. There's a lot of smoke as well. Once it's dark we can try and make our way to the woods." March replied.

"And what about her?" Hayes said pointing to the cage in the corner of the room. "She could die if we leave her here."

Dr Lira sat quietly in the cage that earlier had housed her _patients_. She was still amazed by the discovery of…talking men.

"Of course, if we release her she can point them right to us" Hayes added, answering his own question.

"I can help you. I can keep you safe. We have never captured humans with your degree of progression. Surely The Council would be most interested in studying you." The Doctor said softly.

"Yeah I'll bet, doc" March answered, struggling to turn his wounded neck towards her. "What was that _display of help_ you were going to demonstrate earlier? Demasculate? Dismasculate? Whatever it is, I plan on keeping all my parts attached, thank you!"

"Alright Jonny, grab what we have and let's slip out that window. We can cover ourselves with those blankets."

Hayes looked at the doctor and then nodded to March. "Ok, Tom. I guess that's our best bet. From the sound of it they'll be breaking through soon. She should be fine."

The two men headed for the window but stopped as they heard; _March…March_ bellowing from the hallway, outside.

"That's Grazot!" Hayes exclaimed.

"General!" Hayes shouted. "Is that you?"

Grazot acknowledged the astronauts inquiry and instructed them both to stay where they were. He then ordered the clearing crew to douse the passageway with water. Some of the flames extinguished but where there remnants of oil, flames still burned.

"Ok, Sergeant take your apes back and clear the next area, I'm going forward get those _mehh_…um, _soldiers_ out of there." Grazot ordered.

The crew turned their hose to the adjacent hallway and began to work their way down the passage. Grazot lifted the half burned beams that had fallen and tossed them aside. Parts of the ceiling collapsed in front of him. If Grazot had been human his journey would have ended right there. But being an ape had its advantages. He picked up the massive pieces of stone and mortar and flung them to the right & left. Finally after several minutes he made his way into the room.

"Never thought I'd be glad to see your ugly face General" Hayes said feeling quite relieved.

Grazot's ignored the pun but did muster up an equally insulting comment regarding Hayes's fashion apparel. He looked at March and then said. "Time is of the essence. Release the doctor and do as I say. We're leaving."

The General's plan was simple. The two men were placed on a stretcher. They were covered with an old, smelly, blanket. The doctor was instructed to grab one end while he grabbed the other. They lifted the men and proceeded down the hallway and out of the building.

As they reached the outside a medic approached. Grazot turned him away, stating there was nothing that could be done. Grazot was a bit irritated that Zuglanus and the Lieutenant hadn't returned. He motioned with his head for the doctor to keep moving and he placed the stretcher down as far from _the action_ as possible.

"You sit here doctor and under no circumstance is anyone to go near that thing." Grazot stated bluntly.

"General, please…How is that…" Dr Lira started to ask but Grazot just reiterated his last statement and walked away.

"Where are you Zig?" he mumbled under his breath. Several more minutes passed with no sign of his counterpart.

"Damn it!" He spoke softly to himself as he gritted his teeth. That's when he noticed the cart of empty water off to the side.

Grazot lifted the three hundred-plus pound barrel off of the back of the cart and placed it to the side. He went back to where the doctor and the humans were and motioned for her to pick the cart up. They carried it to the wagon and placed the covered humans in the back.

"You need to come with me Doctor." Grazot said as he helped her into the cart and two of them rode off.

Group Captain Frehber looked puzzled. "He did exactly as the Prefect said he would."

The jostling and bumping was murder on Hayes's bruised side but at least he was safe for the moment. March lifted the blanket slightly and moved some of the straw aside to get a better look at where they were headed. He tried to speak to Grazot but was hushed and told to stay out of sight.

Grazot arrived at the stable to see Zuglanus on the ground with the medic and Lieutenant hovering over. "Stay put" he whispered as he pulled up and exited the wagon.

"What's wrong?" Grazot asked the medic.

"I think the General is dead, Sir. He was shot pretty bad but I've never seen a musket wound like that. He was wheezing and fell off his horse. He had this on him" The confused medic said as he held up the 9 mm pistol "What happened to him Sir?"

"Take a look at him, doc. Are you sure he hasn't just passed out?" Grazot said as he called for Dr. Lira to come over and examine the corpse of his closest friend.

Though she was a veterinarian she assured the General that Zuglanus was indeed dead. He wasn't breathing and no longer had a heartbeat. Unbeknownst to the Apes, the bullet had worked its way into the simian General's heart, killing him instantly.

Grazot felt an emptiness engulf him as the reality of situation took grip. "Let me have that pistol, Corporal, I want you and the lieutenant to return to the fire and help out there. I'll take care of things here."

The soldiers acknowledged their orders and rode off. Grazot picked up the body of his comrade and put him in the back of the wagon.

"What's going on Grazot? I'm about to suffocate back here" March asked as the thud of the gorilla shook the base of the cart.

"I said we're leaving. And we are. Sit tight and get back under that blanket. If you're seen, you'll be _suffocated_ by every soldier within ten miles of here." Grazot snarled in anger.

He went into the stable and paused as he noticed the Magistrates unrecognizable body lying in the dirt. The sight of gore didn't even faze the seasoned combatant. If it wasn't for his attire you wouldn't even know it was Ndola… _Wait…his attire,_ the General thought as he reached down and took the Magistrates ring. _The seal it carried could come in handy _he concluded_._

He pulled a blood soaked sack of coins from his belt and then proceeded to rip the locks off the crates until he found what he was looking for. But he didn't have to. The crate of weapons was open and in plain sight. He tossed the pistol inside, closed it, and loaded it into the wagon.

"Ok Doctor you're free to leave." Grazot stated abruptly.

"General, those animals not only talk, they can reason. I need to know how that is. I don't know where you're headed but I…" Dr Lira shot back.

_That's all I need. Another flippant female_, Grazot thought. "That wasn't a request Doc. I'm leaving and since my good friend is now…dead…I no longer need a physician." And with that Grazot grabbed the doctor by the back of her lab coat gently moved her aside.

"Besides there's someone inside who needs your attention anyway" Grazot said as he pulled on the reins and the wagon rolled off.

"Alright you two, stay down. We have one more stop and then we're moving out." Grazot said as he whipped the reins to move the horses forward.

**Arum City – Animal Control Hospital – approximately 1 hour later**

The fire was finally extinguished but the building would have to be leveled and rebuilt. Civilian crews were clearing out the soot and smoldering remains. All of the military personnel had evacuated just moments earlier.

In a building not too far away a door opened and the Lord Prefect walked in. The Special Group leapt from their seats and saluted.

"You may sit gentleapes…please. I trust that the food is to your satisfaction." Sullen said as he took a seat at the head of the table. He looked at Group Captain Frehber and asked. "So my good Group Captain, what is your assessment of the General?"

Group Captain Frehber began to rise but Sullen beckoned him to sit, irritatedly stating that time was too short for these exasperating military courtesies. "Just spit it out" was the point he made.

"As you wish, Lord Prefect. I had never met the General but my short encounter with the ape tells me that we are not dealing with a fool, Sir. There was suspicion in his eye when he arrived and noticed my insignia. Special Groups do not police or handle civil disasters and he's most certainly aware of that. Also, he did not hesitate to inject his commanding authority but was still reserved enough not to disrupt the operations in progress. He's confident, disciplined and can think or regroup when the circumstances call for it. He used this situation exactly as you'd predicted Lord Prefect. He entered with the initial wave and secured the animals. He removed them from the building and improvised when tensions were high and we were focused on clearing the building from within."

"What do have to add Lieutenant Zolus?" the Lord Prefect asked

Zolus began to rise instinctively but caught himself. He apologized, sat and proceeded to answer the Lord Prefect's question. "Well Sir, I didn't have a lot of interaction with him but the small part that did would have to agree with Group Captain Frehber's assessment. He is not impulsive nor is he intimidated. Just as Group Captain Frehber stated, I have never met General Grazot or any General for that matter but he is definitely someone to be respected."

"Does anyone else have anything they'd like to add?" The Prefect asked openly.

The room was silent for about approximately 15 seconds. When it was obvious no one else had anything to add, Group Captain Frehber spoke again. "Sir, I'm a soldier. And I might add a damn good soldier at that. I do my job and don't question my orders but in this situation I'm confused as to exactly what those orders are."

The Group captain rose and stretched his back. It cracked and so did his neck as he twisted his head from left to right. He scratched his sides, sighed a bit and went on "I've heard the rumors about General Grazot and I'm aware that some wild humans set a fire that spread through much of Arum. But like the General, I too can sense when something doesn't add up. What is all this over embellishment regarding some stupid, practically-extinct animals? And why would a Contingent General enter a burning building, pluck them out and then ride off? Why would he toss his career aside like that? And finally Sir …and I mean no disrespect, but why would the Lord prefect himself and Senior Government Magistrate have my unit recalled from the field for an informal face-to-face chat on my _opinions_ of General Grazot?"

"No offense taken Group Captain. That candid reply is exactly why I selected you for this mission. Your orders are simple gentleapes. You are to shadow Grazot to wherever he's going. My guess is that it's to the heart of where those humans nest and I also believe that it's in the heart of the Banned Territories. I've sent dispatched riders to every town and outpost from here to the edge of our civilization. They are to let Grazot pass. They will also pass intelligence to us on the Generals movements. Oh we'll _pursue him_ but just because he'd expect that. However you and your unit will be the real trackers. Once Grazot arrives at wherever it is, you are to kill him and every human you find. You will burn and destroy everything that's there" Sullen said as he closed a fist and shook it in front of his chest.

The Prefect also rose but more for effect. He pointed a finger from his paw at the group and continued. "As to the _why _of your question I will simply say; the specific details are not for me to divulge. I will say this; these are not docile humans, they're different. The General believes that they nest in an ancient lair where some rather unique weaponry exists. I believe his ultimate goal is rebellion and conquest."

"But Sir, the Banned Territories are forbidden. They were proclaimed cursed and poisoned by the Law Giver." Lieutenant Zolus stated

"Yes, Lieutenant, my Grandfather did make that proclamation, but that was ages ago. I would not send an ape into Banned Territories if I had any concerns that he or she might die. Now finish your meals gentleapes and get some rest. You will be reequipped in the morning before you leave." And with that statement the Prefect raise his glass and toasted the soldiers.


	14. Chapter 14: Cat and Mouse

**165 miles Southeast of Arum City – 4 days later – Approximately 9:45 pm EST**

The chimpanzee farmer picked March up by the back of his coat and flung him across the barn. The 220 pound man hit the dirt and hay and slid a few feet into a wooden post that abruptly broke his momentum. "I had a feeling you'd be back, boy. Where's your father runt? Better start talking." the farmer stated as he raised the musket and locked down the trigger. March was covered from head to toe so as not to reveal any symbols of humanity.

"Look at you, you freak. It's the middle of summer and you're dressed in that hood and cloak like you're out on a winter's hunt…with the circus. What are those stupid looking spectacles you're wearing supposed to be…And your paws they look deformed. My guess is that you're some kind fugitive degenerate. Maybe there's a reward for your head. That is if I don't split it in two, for you. Take that hood off. I want to see who I'm shooting" the Farmer chuckled.

March actually entertained that thought for a second. What would the chimp think if he revealed his face? He could hardly see or breathe in the ridiculous thing anyway.

Earlier that day they'd attempted to grab the farmer's stallion and ride off. Grazot was haggling with the ape and when March had made a move towards the horse, he'd been spotted by the farmer's sons.

They'd used the little money they had to buy food and supplies at their last stop but one of the steeds had broken a leg a day ago and needed to be put down. That had resolved some of their food problems but they still needed a replacement to pull the wagon that housed their supplies.

Initially they'd tried to both trade and buy the horse he was now attempting to steal but there wasn't enough gold and silver left to get much more than a sick donkey. Actually they did have silver and gold but the faces on the currency were human and they were too close to both Arum and Kawaka to flash it about.

_Crack! - Wisssssssssppppp,_ was all March heard as the musket ball whipped past his head and into the side of the barn as General Grazot dropped from the supports above and onto the unsuspecting chimp.

The chimp slammed into the ground face first. He cut his lip and tongue as both, they and his teeth, were introduced to the floor of the barn. Grazot followed up with a few blows to the chimp's midsection as he wheezed and passed out. "Let's go. That rifle shot will have the whole farm up."

"I thought civilians weren't allowed to carry firearms!" the man said as he lifted his hood to take in some fresh air.

"It's much more enforced in cities and heavily populated villages, but no, it's not permitted." General Grazot answered half chuckling and half realizing how close their last encounter was.

"No Second Amendment rights, eh? Well maybe someone should have told him that." March shot back giving the unconscious chimp an additional kick in the side with a hard leather boot.

Grazot muttered something back but March ignored it. At this point he really didn't care. He could barely hear through the hood and cloak, anyway. He was sweating profusely from the hot summer night and was glad to be done playing bait.

"Cover your face and grab that grain and salt." Grazot said as he grabbed a saddle.

Grazot hastily saddled the stallion and they road off for their makeshift camp to the woods, just a few miles down the dirt road.

A lone figure emerged from behind a stack of hay and made a mental note of the direction the two fugitives' road off in. He walked over to the farmer and used a foot to roll him over. He shook his head and mumbled in amazement at the sight of a talking man. "If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes I would never have believed it. You were right Prefect, these are not docile humans and they are definitely _different._"

Back at the dwelling, where the chimp and his family lived, stood Lieutenant Zolus with a pistol in hand. The shot of the musket startled the farmer's twin sons who were at the opposite end of Lieutenant Zolus' handgun.

"You just sit tight." He said to the first. "And that goes for you too, boy." He added addressing the second." Their mother who was also seated instructed her children to sit quietly.

Minutes later the door swung open and a soldier walked through. "They're gone, Sir….Just road off to the east."

"Thank you Corporal. Inform the Group and prepare to move forward. …That shot I heard …anyone hit?" Lieutenant Zolus asked.

"No Sir. It came from the farmer and not the fugitives. It's some sort of homemade flintlock. Everyone's alive but they beat the farmer pretty bad. He's unconscious on the floor of the barn. And they've taken a horse and some supplies." The soldier explained.

Zolus turned to the family and politely said; "Thank you for your cooperation. Those fugitives would have killed you all. This should more than compensate for your losses." he stated, tossing two gold Grand-Modars on the table.

The two young boys lit up with surprise. They were barely into their teens but even they realized that it equaled more than three times the amount their entire crop would fetch at market this season. Suddenly, sitting behind the barrel of a gun didn't seem all that bad to either of them.

"Now" the lieutenant went on, this time not as polite. "You keep your mouths shut about this little incident and I'll keep mine shut about that rifle. If I have to return, I assure you that I will be in a much less _generous_ mood. Am I clear?"

The female chimp nodded and slowly reached for the coins before the Lieutenant's senses could return. That was money; Genuine ape currency. Most of the villages and farms bartered. They occasionally came across coins but that was certainly an exception and never more than a few Modars of copper or silver.

"Very good." Zolus said as he holstered his weapon. Next, he intentionally reached in the direction of the money but grabbed a piece fruit from a bowl instead.

"I can give and I can _take_. Remember that." Zolus said coldly. He beckoned for the Corporal, tossed him the apple, and they exited the dwelling; disappearing into the darkness.

March, Hayes, and Grazot traveled from place to place trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. If anyone had to venture into town it was obviously Grazot. If they could bypass a town, settlement, or city altogether, they'd do it otherwise they'd try and pass through when things were their busiest. The Magistrate's ring, along with Grazot's _charming_ personality had been mildly helpful getting them through a few check points. The fact that Grazot was a high ranking general added credibility to the _lies of convenience_ he'd concoct.

If they couldn't barter for what they needed they'd simply steal it. That had made things difficult at times. Grazot refused to kill anyone but who could blame him March thought. If things were reversed he wouldn't want to be putting bullets into every person they robbed. Stealing for survival was one thing. Murdering and pillaging was totally different.

They were able to travel between twenty five and thirty five miles a day all of it based on the terrain, weather, and situation. Thanks to the use of Night Vision, they traveled in the dark when possible; taking shifts. Two slept while one drove the wagon. The journey so far had been quite uneventful, except for their encounter with the farmer and the episode they'd had with a patrol as they skirted the Ape Capital.

Their luck had been good at keeping them ahead of their pursuers. But something didn't seem right. The patrol they'd come across took a bribe. Grazot assured them that things like that took place on occasion. He'd even suggested the route they should take knowing the corrupt troops they'd encounter.

However, that wasn't what raised the man's suspicions. They'd had to use the American and Canadian coins they'd taken from the island. The ape Troop Sergeant hardly flinched at the human faces on the currency. Gold was gold and silver was silver…but the Sergeant didn't ask a single question. He simply mumbled that he 'knew an ape'; he didn't ask where it was from; how the general came across it; and he didn't negotiate for more. He simply took what was offered and let them pass.

Ape or human, March had seen the same personality traits many times. The sergeant was corrupt and untrustworthy. Why take the money and just let them pass? Why not take the money and turn them in? Why not get rich and play the hero at the same time?

The hours turned to days while days turned to weeks. Their field pad was able to provide GPS as they worked their way southeast towards DC. Grazot provided maps and knowledge of supply and trade routes. That proved helpful in their _resupply_ efforts.

The farther south they traveled the fewer towns or settlements they came across. There was the occasional outpost or small farm but most of the landscape appeared to be unsettled.

"The boarder towns of Argos will be the last settlements we'll have to deal with. No ape is permitted to venture south of them. The land beyond has been declared poison. Argos is a series of interlinked towns and military outposts. We will not be able to bypass it. It is where The Purging began and is designed to act like a web. But we have a small advantage, if you can call it one. The web is designed to catch and kill whatever ventures north; not south like we're headed. …Nothing has ventured north in decades." Grazot said as he pointed out the area on the map.

"So what's the issue, General? You're one of their top brass, right?" Hayes said. "Why can't we go through one of the smaller outposts and have you simply order them to allow you passage? We're weeks away from any large settlement. These people…uh apes…are probably months behind the communication loop."

"I can get us in but it takes written orders from a member of the formal government to pass through. We'll have to get in and figure out how to get through from there. But our work is cut out for us. I could slip through as could one of you. But horses, supplies, this huge wagon, and the like are a whole different issue." The General concluded.

"Well, we have about two or three days to figure something out. Maybe there's a weak link in their network. One of us can always cause a distraction while the others slip through, but we need to address something larger that's bothering me." March said.

"General, don't you find it rather _convenient_ how we always seem to find just what we need, when we need it? …How effortlessly we've slipped through check points. …the lack of suspicion we come across. Grant it we've avoided most places but that patrol we met just west of your capital… Something wasn't right. That guy would have sold his own mother out for a day old piece of bread." March stated plainly

"The Major is right, General" Hayes added in agreement. "How is it that we always seem to be one step ahead of that posse? We skirt towns and outposts. Any military leader with an ounce of sense would use that to his tactical advantage. They could have flanked us several times by now. Hell they could have even bypassed us or overtaken us a hundred different ways."

Grazot pondered their statements for a few seconds. His rank permitted him certain _advantages_ others only wished for. The Magistrate's official seal also carried weight. He was accustomed to ordering, stating, directing, and having it done with little to no questioning. Perhaps that had slightly clouded his perceptions. He honestly didn't feel a need for concern but only a fool failed to consider the opinions of experienced subordinates. Even if in this case it was only figurative.

He looked at March, then at Hayes and then he gazed out at the open terrain, scratching his cheek. They'd used cover when possible but the wagon had forced them on to the main roads all too often.

"What is it, General?" Hayes asked. But Grazot held up a paw signaling for him to hold his thought.

Grazot unrolled the large leather map and laid it down flat on the ground. He traced his finger over the route they'd taken, putting himself in the role of the pursuer. He noted several spots where they could have either been ambushed or overtaken. "Mikos or Silonus…" He mumbled.

"General?" March asked calmly

"Colonel Mikos or Colonel Silonus would be pursuing. If I had to guess it would be Mikos, but it's irrelevant. They're both capable field officers. Mikos is more aggressive and he's been my Executive Officer for years. Silonus was Zig's Exec. He is more of a planner and strategist and not one to rush in. But as I said, it doesn't matter; we are only three and they would have a least a hundred soldiers." Grazot stated.

The General pointed at Arum and worked his way down the map with a finger. "Here is the route we've taken. These are the places we've been forced to resupply or pass through but here, here, here, and here we've avoided altogether. They have an idea where were headed. I can see at least a dozen places where we could have been easily ambushed or cut off." Grazot ended pointing to a few of the spots.

"Maybe they're shadowing us. Hoping we'll lead them to the human settlement" Hayes alleged.

Grazot jerked his head sharply towards Hayes and blurted out; "Ghosts! ...that's it" as he mildly slapped the man on the back.

The stunned Hayes jolted forward and wheezed a little. "Take it easy General. Are you trying to re-break those ribs?" he paused for a second and then added; "Ghosts?"

**The following day - Twelve miles northwest of the fugitive's previous position **

Shortly after midnight the two men and the ape General moved into their ambush positions. The horses and wagon were secured a half mile down the road and as far back into the wooded area as they could fit. They had back tracked as soon as night fell.

They were working in teams – Two guarding while the other slept, switching off every two to three hours. They were staggered on opposite sides of the hilly terrain. There wasn't a lot of _man_-power but they did have fire power. That was if it was needed. Grazot insisted on prisoners. The ambush reminded Hayes of the 'good old days', back in Israel, as a munitions specialist. He's channeled many an unsuspecting victim into a very agonizing demise.

For five hours nothing happened at all. Hayes was beginning to wonder if their suspicions had been false but he shrugged it off as he was reminded of the time he'd waited almost a day to capture a Syrian sharpshooter who'd been sniping at his unit.

It had rained earlier that day and the night was foggy and hot. The ground was wet but Hayes was dry enough on the rubber-lined poncho. He was grateful that they'd taken basic field equipment, which included a change of uniform and wet weather gear. The thought of being stuck in that caveman outfit made him shake his head.

Hayes reached out at the three grenades lined up in front of him; the pins had already been straightened for quick throwing. One was a smoke canister and the other two were _insurance_. Just incase their 'prisoners' didn't want to cooperate.

Very gradually, in tiny slivers, dawn began to break through the fog; and from his position on the hill he could now see twenty or thirty yards up the road without the use of night vision. He slapped at an ant crawling on his neck and peered through his binoculars to the hilltop just opposite of his location.

He spotted March but the position was well concealed. If Hayes hadn't known exactly where he was he would have never noticed the man. He reached for the walky-talky and keyed the device twice, signaling that all was clear. March returned two _clicks_ in acknowledgement.

He looked through the binoculars again this time looking for General Grazot. No sign. _He isn't in the trees is he?_ Hayes thought as he tilted his head up and scanned the tree-line. He saw nothing. He'd noticed that both Grazot and Madera felt at home sitting high in the trees.

It was odd though. They were simply to wait it out in hiding. Grazot had informed the men of the special ops unit he'd come across back in Arum. They were some choice team of commandos or something. Hayes, however, hadn't been all that impressed with what he'd witnessed so far from any of the gorilla militias he'd encountered.

If they were being followed, they would have to pass through here. Grazot wanted prisoners but Hayes wasn't taking chances, this time. His ribs were finally healed and he wasn't about to drop his guard like he'd done on the island. That was why he'd laid out the two extra grenades.

The sun was beginning to rise but the tree cover had most of the hilltop shaded and dark. Hayes adjusted the setting on his NVG so as not to blind himself and reexamined the tree tops. _Still no sign of him,_ he whispered to himself.

That was when he noticed a leaf and few twigs fall past his head. Hayes's adrenalin began to rise as he slowly clicked his mic rapidly and then causally reached for the M-103 at his opposite side. Before the man could react the ape soldier above dropped and hit the ground with a thud.

He raised his paws above his head, in a fist and brought them down towards Hayes who was instinctively rolling away. The edges on his poncho along with the debris on the ground rose in every direction as the balled fists connected with the soil.

Hayes, who was on his back, mustered as much force as he could and kicked at the beast. He caught the gorilla in the hip and thigh and watched him tumble over the side of the hill. He'd spent weeks with the gorilla General but still felt natural fright at the sheer size of the animals.

He crawled for his weapon but, again, before he could react he felt something grab him from behind. The gorilla had rolled down the side and sprung up behind him with incredible speed.

"You mutant freak. I should kill you right here." He said as he lifted Hayes up by his neck and squeezed slightly. "Well, don't you look lovely? Where's your girlfriend?" he said grinning as he eyed the camouflage paint on the man's face.

He held, the choking, Hayes high and called out to March. "Human! Show yourself."

There was silence.

"We have the General and your supplies…"

The gorilla paused for an answer but one did not come.

"My orders are to take you alive … But they didn't specify what condition you have to be in. Come forward…NOW or I'll cut off his thumbs." The soldier said as he slammed Hayes to the ground, pinned him under his boot, and unsheathed a dagger that looked more like a short-sword.

Once again the soldier waited for any kind of reply. And once again he was greeted with silence.

"Have it your way, then" The gorilla shouted as he leaned down and pined Hayes even further, using his knee.

"Ok, I surrender" March shouted from across the hill. The gorilla grinned as he stood erect turning towards the sound.

Sergeant Niter never spotted the camouflaged man on one knee with the rifle sighted directly on him. He never heard the shot that splattered his head like a melon and threw his body back several feet.

Blood and pieces of what was left from Sergeant Niter's head splatter Hayes, who was gasping for air and trying to endure the pain in his neck and back.

"_Captain Hayes? Are you ok?" _crackledfrom the radio at the soldier's side.

Hayes who was still coughing and hacking keyed his mic twice and then waved his arm as best as he could. He gave a sloppy, thumbs up, but March got the message.

"_I'm coming over, March out_" His counterpart stated.

A minute or two later March was on the opposite hilltop with Hayes.

"Well that's one set of NVG we'll never use again." March said as held up the trampled goggles.

"That could have been me. Getting manhandled by King Kong is getting old, Tom." Hayes stated as he attempted to clean himself up. "Now I know why Grazot said they were called; _ghosts_. They're as good as any trained commando squad I've ever come across. He was on top of me before I even knew he was there."

"…you ok?" March asked

"I'll live, but we'd better search him and bug out before any of his friends come looking. That shot was loud enough to wake the dead." Hayes said as he walked over to the gorilla carcass. "Did you have to take his head off? Look at all that blood"

"You remember how many excruciating hours they made us shoot these things? Zero-Four-Hundred on a Saturday morning and sometimes on Sunday's too. I hated it then but I'm damn glad now. These guys seem to be able to take a few hits to their chests. A head shot seemed like the way to go. And at this range it was an easy shot." March answered.

"They're gigantic enough, aren't they? And to think we engineered them…" Hayes said as he reached for the dagger.

Hayes cut the leather straps holding up the soldier's backpack. Next he cut the belt and pulled it free. He grabbed the grenades and the poncho and shoved them into the pack as March suggested they move out immediately.

"Wait a minute." March said turning back towards the dead body. "Cut off his thumbs and bring them with us. I have an idea."


	15. Chapter 15: Thwarted Plans

**The ambush spot – Approximately 1 hour later**

"That's Niter. Look at the uniform" Lieutenant Zolus stated as he shook his head and fought to control his anger. "…Or what's left of him. Dhenos, prepare the body for burning."

"Sir…his paws… and his head…it's…just gone" the young ape private gasped holding back strong feelings of nausea.

Private Dhenos was well trained. He was relatively disciplined and a first-rate tracker but was still new to the Group and quite young. The Ape nation had no enemies. None like this anyway. Dhenos had trained and trained and trained; He'd also participated in simulation after simulation and field exercise after exhausting field exercise. He thought they'd never end and that he was going to go insane but he'd never actually witnessed a colleague fall in battle. Up to this point it had been mocked-up.

Sergeant Niter had been more than a colleague, he'd been a mentor. Dhenos respected and greatly admired the ape. Niter seemed unbeatable, yet there he was dead, decapitated and disgraced. And by humans none the less. A weak, ignorant, animal. Or so he thought. These bizarre freaks spoke, used muskets …and de-thumbed their …victims.

"Go on Dhenos, prepare the body for burning." Zolus repeated, putting his paw on the apes shoulder. "We'll have justice, Private. Get him ready and get your head back in the chase!"

"Yes Sir." Dhenos replied as he went off to do what the lieutenant had instructed.

Zolus spoke a few words of tribute regarding their fallen comrade. Next they burned the body according to their customs and traditions. Once the body was consumed and the ritual was complete Dhenos addressed his commanding officer.

"Sir I've picked up their trail. They went off that way …there." Private Dhenos said as he pointed a finger.

"We don't need to track them. They're going to come to us. We have their equipment and we have the traitor. What we are going to do is, adjust our strategy! I can see why the Lord Prefect wants those mutants dead. I would have wagered a month's pay that Niter could have handled a dozen of them. Let's move out." Zolus said as he brought a forearm to his forehead and wiped the perspiration away.

The two apes scurried downhill and mounted their horses. They galloped down the trail heading back to their camp.

About two hundred yards down the road March keyed his mic and whispered; _Ok Jonny, here they come, get ready on my mark_.

The ape riders galloped closer and closer as Hayes tightened his grip on the rope. He tensed as he prepared himself for the events that were about to unfold. His mic crackled with forewarnings from March as he bent his legs slightly and adjusted his footing.

Fifty feet…forty…thirty…Hayes took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He quickly took in another and did the same as he anticipated the order that was coming any second.

"Now Jonny!" March yelled.

Hayes pulled the rope tight at his end while March picked up the slack at the other. By the time the two apes noticed the rise of dust and leaves, followed by the rope, it was too late.

The Lieutenant's horse wailed in pain and threw him toppling end over end in the air. The Private pulled back on his reins but his momentum was too great. The rope caught his side and the horse went down pinning him as it finally came to a stop.

Lieutenant Zolus did his best to regain control as he abruptly slammed into a tree then landed face first on the ground. He reached for his sidearm and awkwardly un-holstered the weapon. He was dazed and tried to use the tree as cover. However, he had no idea where exactly he should conceal.

The horse he was riding was on the ground and convulsing from what looked like a broken neck among other things. Of course what did he care? It was the stallion the fugitives had taken from the farmer.

Dhenos, who was half stunned, shifted the 950 lb steed and slid loose. The spooked horse rose to its feet and dashed off down the Trail. "Lieutenant!" He said as he leapt several feet in the air and landed next to his commanding officer. "What do we do, Sir?"

That was a good question. Lieutenant Zolus wasn't exactly sure. They'd been ambushed but why hadn't they been finished off? Unfortunately for him, he was about to get the answer.

"Can you climb? Get up this tree and see if you can spot anything. Someone had to be pulling on that rope." Zolus coughed out as he pointed at the tree top.

Dhenos grabbed the nearest branch and began to pull himself up as the deafening sound of the rifle shot startled him slightly. But that was the least of his worries. The sound was followed by a 7.62 mm round slamming into his shoulder. It ripped through the lose uniform and took out a sizable chunk of meat, as it punched into the trunk. Dhenos lost his grip and fell to the ground.

The shaken gorilla looked at his bleeding wound in wonder. "N…no musket is that powerful" he said, unlatching his pack as he went for the medial supplies. "What are we going to do Sir?"

The answer never came.

A second round knocked into the midsection of Lieutenant Zolus, followed by a third into his thigh. The fourth shot hit Zolus in the throat. The ape died instantly. Another punched into the Private's hip. The last shot hit Dhenos on his opposite side and shattered the gorilla's knee, as he was moving for cover. If he lived, he would never walk again.

Dhenos wailed in pain and tried to position himself better behind the midsized tree. He was losing blood and at a point of passing out from the pain. His eyes blinked as he saw the blurry figure, silhouetted by sunlight, draw near. His head was telling him to find the flintlock but his body wasn't cooperating. Surely his Group Captain heard the shots and was on the way. He could only hope.

The strange figure approached Dhenos with an odd looking _musket _pointed squarely at his bleeding body. He looked half human and half plant. The man's face was painted brown, green and black and branches, twigs and leaves were attached to his dull green clothes. …And what was that dangling from his neck. …By the great ape…thumbs. Dhenos cringed within but wasn't hiding his disgust very well.

The man stopped about three feet away and spoke immediately as time was of the essence. "How's it goin' Koko? Major Thomas Jefferson March, United States Air Force, Service Number; one-one-eight-one-three-three, at your service" March said tilting his head slightly as he saluted the ape. "We can dispense with the military courtesy and you can just call me Tom. What do you prefer; Koko, Jambo, Chita? Of course Chit was a chimp…"

Dhenos huffed out at the man and cursed. Who was this lunatic? He slapped at the ground in an attempt to retrieve the Lieutenant's pistol but stopped when the man tensed like he was about to shoot. Where was his Group captain?

"Why are you trailing us? And what are your orders?" March said as he kicked the lieutenant's medieval weapon aside.

"You - you're … de-dead ... huu …mon" Dhenos grunted out in pain.

"Ok, we don't have a lot of time so here are the choices; Answer me and live or stall me and I'll kill you and get the answers from Group Captain Frehber." March said. "And just so we're clear as glass let me illustrate with … this." March turned his rifle at the wincing horse a few yards away and shot the animal in the head. It was actually an act of mercy but in this case it also provided an added psychological effect.

The man had no idea who Frehber was. He'd gotten the name from Grazot but he did notice that Dhenos had perked up with surprise when the ape's name was mentioned.

March dropped the leather pack they'd taken from Sergeant Niter. He reached inside and pulled out the small ape field ration pack. The apes hadn't learned to dehydrate their food. What they didn't discard they'd preserve with salt. March opened one of the containers and poured its contents on the gorilla's knee as he asked the questions for a second time.

It took more time than March wanted but the young ape finally broke and revealed the information he was after. March wouldn't have to kill him since it was apparent that the blood loss was doing the job for him.

_I'm glad I was paying so much attention during Psych-ops training_ March thought, grinning slightly. He reached for the walky-talky and was about to speak when a musket ball whipped past and took chucks of bark off the nearby tree. A second ball hit Dhenos as March instinctively dove for the ground.

The man could hear shouting and approaching horses as he realized that his time had run out. The apes had decided to scrap their _cat and mouse_ rouse and were now going to directly engage the men. More shots fired in his direction as March low-crawled for cover behind the two apes. Dhenos looked dead but the thought of getting close to the ape made him feel uneasy. The Major eased himself behind the dead carcass and flipped the setting on his rifle to _Full-Auto._

The mic crackled as he lay prone to avoid the musket fire; _Tom, stay down! There are several dozen apes on horseback approaching. I have an idea. When you see smoke you beat-feet back here. Hayes out_.

The majority of the gorilla riders had fired their muskets. They weren't shooting at the man directly. They were trying to prod the creature and pin him down.

One major advantage the humans had was that the gorillas had to reload, and that took time. As they galloped towards March, the two most forward apes dropped a net. They rode towards March as the others followed their lead.

"Hurry the hell up, Jonny" March said as he impatiently waited and hastily sighted his rifle on the lead gorilla. Just as he finished the sentence he heard shots. The horses of two apes carrying the net fell. A few of the riders directly behind topped over while others jumped their stallions and tried to maneuver left or right to avoid the gorilla's on the flanks.

_Ok Sir… now_… Hayes said as popped the smoke grenade and threw it as far in front of March as he could. March stood and had to fight the urge to empty his clip into the smoke. Instead, he ran in a full sprint towards Hayes. Seconds later he heard the explosion of a grenade. From the screams that followed, it had obviously done its job.

"Ok Jonny let's get out of here. Move towards there." March huffed and puffed pointing to a densely populated hilltop in the distance. "…It'll proved good cover and it's high ground. We can regroup and figure out our next move from there." Hayes simply nodded and the two soldiers moved towards their new location.

**Approximately 30 minutes later**

Perfect Sullen grit his teeth as he looked over the dead and decapitated soldiers laid out before him. He wondered if those humans had a device that could steal an ape's thoughts. It seemed that everything they tried was totally irrelevant and always ended in disaster. Sullen missed his old friend Ndola but he wished he hadn't let the Magistrate talk him into such a passive role. _Let me handle this, Sullen…My way!_ Ndola had urged. And what had that accomplished; Just more death, including his. His senior Generals were also dead or had turned traitor. Their military expertise and experience was being snuffed out, one-by-one, by these harbingers of destruction.

He was reminded of some verses out of their sacred scriptures. _The lust of man destroys like fire and is never quenched. His fingers stretch out for death. His home is a grave and he gives no thought to his brother's life. __Keep to a path far from him. Do not go near the gates of his lair, lest you lose your honor and your dignity__to one who is cruel. Lest strangers feast on your wealth and your spoil is divided by another._

He would have simply let them go at this point but the bigger picture was all too clear. They would never stay _gone_. Where there were three, there were twenty and if not dealt with and exterminated they would spread like a plague.

Sullen looked up to see General Mikos approaching. "Sir, the critically wounded are being evacuated. Seven are dead; another three, possibly, five probably won't survive the day. Twelve more are wounded but can still perform their duties with minimal distractions. We also lost eight horses and put another down just minutes ago."

"Thank you Colonel …forgive me, I mean General." Sullen said somberly. With Grazot gone, Zuglanus dead and Narr missing, Mikos had been field promoted to Contingent General. Sullen assured him that once this was over and they were back in Kawaka, he'd see that it was permanent.

"It's ok Sir. I'm still not used to it myself. Lord Prefect, I am not diminishing our situation but all is not lost. The Special Group did capture General Grazot along with many of the human devices. I've served with Grazot for years. I know his tactics and I know how he thinks." Mikos stated.

"Yes, but those men… No one knows _their_ tactics. They're like wizards weaving a spell of annihilation in every direction around them. Take a look at the bodies, General. Two… it only took two of them to level this amount of devastation" Sullen replied.

"You're looking at this wrong, Sir. The Special Group is scheduled to rendezvous with us shortly. I just dispatched the messenger. Our last report stated that they'd captured the human weapons. The animals cannot resupply and when their resources are extinguished they'll be as easy to pluck as a piece of fruit." Mikos said with confidence.

The newly appointed General took a huge swallow of water and cussed at the hot weather. He wiped his brow with his sleeve and went on. "I've also sent three riders south to secure that equipment and return it here. And if you want my opinion on the General, Lord Prefect, he should be executed as soon as he returns. Without his help those animals will never get through Argos."

"I admire the confidence, General" Sullen said directly. "But concentrate on your mission. I want at least one of those humans captured. The other you can kill and eat for all I care. And I'll handle your predecessor my way. And as for the weapons…"

"Excuse me Sir. I apologize for the interruption but we have a situation." a voice said interrupting the Prefects final sentence.

"What is it, Tyus?" Mikos sighed in annoyance; As if he didn't already have enough to sort out he thought within.

"The General Sir … Apparently he's escaped." Tyus replied

"Escaped? …Has it been confirmed and what of the equipment?" Sullen interjected

An uncomfortable Colonel Tyus flinched a bit and finally called for the Corporal who had given him the information. The gorilla explained that Grazot had overpowered both he and Group Captain Frehber. The Group Captain was shackled to tree. He'd sent the corporal forward with a message; A message for Sullen. One word; _Grebek. _The meaning was all too clear. Any ape with an understanding of history and the recent events would grasp the intended implication.

The leader of the last resisting territory during The Great Unification had been a ruthless warrior named, Lord Atilious. He'd proven to be a tactical mastermind. He'd conscripted a territorial army of thousands and had successfully pushed his aggressors back. Some argued that he was even on the path to victory. But he'd met his demise at the battle of Grebek.

Before that battle apes did combat with swords, bows and spears. The strongest and most skilled lived while the less fortunate were cut asunder. The now ruling Ape nation introduced the first muskets at Grebek. It significantly shifted the balance of power. Atilious and his militia were cut down from a distance. His soldiers were caught off guard in a slaughter, resulting in a loss of command and control. By the end of the battle, Atilious was dead and several of his commanders had been killed, wounded or captured. The battle turned the tide of the war in the Ape Nation's favor. The term _Grebek_ was coined similar to the way humans coin, _Waterloo_

Muskets had proven their significance. Muskets had stopped an advancing enemy. Muskets had be come the weapon of choice. Grazot was sending a clear message to Sullen that his _Grebek_ was about to arrive.

The Lord Prefect turned to General Mikos and asked, "Well General, how would you summarize our situation now?"


	16. Chapter 16: The Path Through Argos

**Forest Region, North of Argos**

General Grazot slapped the back of the horse and watched it dash away down the thin dirt trail, pulling the bulky wagon behind it. Next he dumped the contents of the Group Captain's supplies on the ground and began to sort through them, taking what he thought was important, and tossing aside what wasn't. He'd just sent the corporal forward with a message for the Prefect and was once again wondering how he was going to find his human colleagues.

Of course, he had no idea if they were even alive. Hopefully their resourceful luck was still holding up. The Group Captain had sent three soldiers out and none had returned. In fact, from the gunfire he'd heard, he could only surmise they they'd indeed found their target, as well as, their end.

"Well, Well" he mumbled as he noticed the signed manifest allowing passage through Argos. Of course a lot of good it would do him now. Every official in Argos had probably been alerted. But he took them anyway.

"You just try and use those orders, Traitor, and you'll be arrested on the spot." The group Captain bitterly stated.

"If I were you Group Captain, I'd be worried about your, soon to be stretched, neck. You let this, uh _traitor_, escape. We both know the _reward_ that brings. Playing, 'loyal citizen', right to the very end, I see." Grazot replied

The General had attempted to reason with his captor when he'd first been taken into custody. He'd tried to appeal to his sense of honor and get him to question the conventional wisdom he'd simply accepted without question. The problem was that Frehber wasn't going to be lectured on honor by someone who, in his eyes, possessed none of it. He didn't want to believe that his nation had lied or, better yet, mislead him, so his intuition dismissed the General's argument as disloyal nonsense.

That was where the Group Captain differed from the General. Grazot was a total realist. What was true was true. What wasn't wasn't. It was that simple. There was no middle ground. No Half-truth in the General's mind. He'd been lied to and was being controlled. True power was so close he could almost reach out and grab it.

Grazot turned his attention back to the situation at hand. He hoisted the human's field pack on a shoulder and then headed for the sounds of the gun fire he'd heard earlier. But he suddenly paused and walked back to the shackled ape.

He grabbed Frehber by the base of his chin, tilted his head slightly, and held a 9 mm pistol in front of his face. "Believe what you will, Frehber, but tell me my good ape… how do you explain this? Look at it Captain. What's it constructed from? Where was it constructed? How can one smith such precise detail and then duplicate it a hundred times over? Does this look like the toy of a brainless beast?"

"You're a fool, General. A fool and a traitor" Frehber answered. "I heard that we smithed it. That it's an experimental weapon. You were even the officer who supervised the field test."

"There you have it then; either we've been lied to or we're being governed in ignorance. It's too bad I wasn't taken to Kawaka to be formally court-martialed. I could have proven my case and had half of the Contingent on my side by now." Grazot said as he walked away.

Frehber sat there stone-faced but deep within the ape began to reason. If Grazot was right, it would explain quite a bit. Like why the hero of Dermas would throw his life away and chase a fantasy. The General was respected. He had position, authority, wealth… He'd married the sister of Councilape Malrep, so he carried influence too. Frehber was suddenly reminded of the answer the Lord Prefect had given when he'd asked; _why - _"_As to the why of your question I will simply say; the specific details are not for me to divulge_." If there's nothing to hide, then why not… _divulge_?

"General … wait." Frehber said with as much dignity as he could muster.

Grazot stopped and turned his head in the Captain's direction. "What is it, now?" he replied apathetically. "Shall I kill you here and save you the disgrace that's coming?"

"Let's assume you're right, or partially correct, anyway. Just what is it you're …" Frehber began to say but stopped when he heard more gunfire in the distance. It was followed shortly by the sound of thunder.

"Make it quick, Captain. Do not play me for a fool. I'm not letting you stall me long enough for that to catch up with me" Grazot said pointing towards the sound.

"By now you know that my orders were to shadow you into the banned regions, not to capture you. If we hadn't had our scout in place, listening, we would have walked into your ambush. And you're correct; I will face a court-martial if …when… they find me. But if you release me and take me with you I give you my word I'll cooperate." Frehber stated.

Grazot smirked and grunted in disbelief.

"I'll cooperate, Sir." Frehber repeated, "It's better than death and will allow me to discover the truth for myself. But only as long you do not force me to compromise my convictions. I just want to find the truth. I do not want to join your self-proclaimed revolution and I will not attack a single ape or stand by while you do. If you allow me to accompany you, get proof of these so-called facts, and allow me to go my way afterwards, I give you my word I will act with honor."

Grazot looked at the ape's eyes. If he was being deceptive, he was hiding it well. The motto of the Special Group was: _Strength, Nobility, and Honor_. They valued integrity and the Group Captain's 'cooperation' would solve the problem of getting through Argos. Once they gave their word, on something, you could count on the fact that they'd live up to it. But there was something deep inside Grazot's head that was telling him the word _honor_ had a totally different meaning for the Captain. Frehber was loyal, blindly loyal. It was obvious that the first chance he got he'd kill, _this Traitor,_ and vindicate himself.

"Think about it, General. I can get you through Argos and I can track down those humans before sun fall." Frehber answered as if he'd read Grazot's mind.

Grazot thought about it and scratched his chin as an idea formed in his mind. "Alright, Group Captain, you may be of use. But if you give me even the slightest excuse I'll do Sullen's job for him. I want your word you'll do exactly as I order…within the limits you laid out, of course."

The Group Captain gave his word. The General released the ape but kept him shackled at the wrists. He loaded all of the gear on Frehber's shoulder. He then brought up his arm and put a paw to the soldier's back, shoving him forward as he said "Ok Captain, track those men."

The two men were lying prone on the hilltop. They were using the terrain, vegetation and the gear available to stay out of sight. Ape soldiers were scurrying around for any traces of the humans. The two astronauts had to be particularly careful because the apes were also using the trees.

Hayes smiled inside as some of the scenes reminded him of the Tarzan movies he watched as a child. The apes were well at home in the branches high above moving from tree to tree with grace, style and ease.

"They have no idea where we are. They're searching but not in any specific pattern. For all they know, we could be miles from here." Hayes said softly as he handed his superior officer the binoculars.

March peered through the goggles at the gorillas off in the distance and nodded in agreement. He bit into the odd looking piece of fruit he'd pilfered from the sergeant's rations. It tasted a lot like an apple only sweeter and it looked like nothing he'd ever seen before. It was red but a very bright red, resembling a tomato. He handed the produce to Hayes and scanned the area again. Within the hour the apes gave up the search and returned to wherever it was they'd ventured out from.

The men inventoried their munitions and began to discuss their next course of action. With Grazot, and most likely their supplies, gone the men faced a dilemma; Search for him or go on through Argos alone and with little to no supplies.

"…Since we have no idea where Grazot is, I think our best move is to go on without him. We just need to find a weak spot in their defenses and slip through. Once we're on the other side, and safe, we'll reassess the situation and plan a route to Washington. Or what's left of it." March said.

"We're lucky too, Sir" Hayes added. "We'd be just about out of food and water if we hadn't taken it from those dead monkeys."

"Careful human! That's an offensive term where I come from" a voice said from behind a tree line to their right. The startled men swung their rifles around and almost fired but stopped abruptly when they realized no one was there.

Hayes was seriously considering tossing the last hand grenade when Grazot identified himself and said he was about to stand. "…And I brought a friend." He added.

The General rose to his feet with a flintlock pistol in hand. He'd would have preferred the 9 mm but his paws were simply too big for the weapon. He had a paw on the shoulder of a shackled gorilla who was wearing a very odd looking uniform, similar to human jungle fatigues but made of leather.

"How in blazes did you find us, General? …And who is that?" March asked as he eyeballed Frehber with concern.

"I didn't find you… He did." Grazot answered as he waved the pistol sided to side signaling for the Group Captain to take a seat.

Grazot and the two men brought each other quickly up to speed. Hayes scoffed at Grazot's decision to bring the Group Captain along. The man wasn't as convinced that the new addition to their band was really as _honorable_ as Grazot stated. He was arguing that they could easily slip through Argos without his _help_. March was in agreement but wasn't being as vocal. In a way, he got a kick out listening to their constant banter.

Frehber was almost ignoring the words as he stared in amazement at the sight of the two reasoning animals. His amazement was accompanied by anger. These feeble creatures had killed his unit; his friends. And they'd die for it. So help him, he was going to see that they paid for it.

Hayes really lost it when he heard the plan Frehber had in mind.

"…Shackle the General, tie us up…and then march us _right through_ Argos? That's your plan? More like; _right into_ the lion's den. And you think we're stupid enough to go along with it because you gave us your word?" Hayes argued.

"I don't expect a savage like you to understand integrity. It's a miracle that the great ape even created such a pathetic breed." Frehber shot back with contempt. "Argos was alerted of your presence weeks ago. The Prefect has dispatched riders to every city in the nation. And he knows, all too well, just how difficult it is to slip through." Frehber concluded as he pointed at Grazot

"Yes, I'm aware of the Argos net. So just where do you propose we pass though, Group Captain?" Grazot asked.

"Sigma-Three; the terrain beyond is open for a good mile or two and it slopes downward to low-ground. It would be tactical suicide for any military or bandits to attack from that point. It's one of the smaller outposts in the defensive net." Frehber stated.

"General, you are not seriously going to go along with this are you?" Hayes said throwing his arms up in the air.

"I'm forced to agree." March stated, finally speaking up.

"What rank do you hold in your Contingent, human; Lieutenant, Captain? Watch and learn gentle…_men_" The word sounded strange to Grazot.

"Give me your rifle" Grazot said reaching out at Hayes.

Hayes wanted to argue but handed the gorilla his M103 as he watched with curiosity. Grazot sarcastically thanked the Group Captain for his, _cooperation_. He then explained to March and Hayes that he had no intention of allowing them all to be bound and handed over on a silver platter.

"You'd shoot me like this?" Frehber said as he grit his teeth "You're nothing more than common criminal, General"

"I have no intention of shooting you, you sanctimonious buffoon. Well, unless you give me reason to anyhow." Grazot said as he tossed the soldier the keys to his chains. "Unlock yourself and get that uniform off."

Frehber cocked his head but did what Grazot instructed when the General pointed the rifle at his head.

"You see Captain, I'm well aware of what you mean when you say you'll _cooperate_ or _act with honor_. It's all in how you define the words. And I fear your definition and mine are on opposite sides of the fence. I've learned a few words too like; _improvise_ and _advantage_. When I'm in battle I use whatever is at my disposal. You helped me find these men in hours where I could have looked for days. You are just a means to an end. No one at Sigma-Three knows who you or I are. I will use your orders, your uniform and my ingenuity and get though Argos my way." General Grazot stated frankly.

"I am not looking over my shoulder at every turn. I don't plan to find a knife in my back if I'm forced to defend myself. You seek the truth yet it's staring you right in the face. Where do you think the knowhow for this came from…?" Grazot said holding up the flintlock pistol. "Our, oh-so-trusted leaders took the design from an old human book. A book I've seen with my own eyes. It came from them." He continued, this time, pointing at the humans.

This was all news to Hayes and March who found themselves, staring at the Gorilla, trying to determine if his statements were fact or just a rouse.

"What do you think the outcome of Grebek would have been if we'd had these?" the General said as he gripped the M103 and raised it up high. "…There wouldn't have even been a Grebek... This is greater than ten thousand spears. They're better than a hundred muskets. It takes away any physical advantage we possess. Now get that uniform off before I give you a personal demonstration".

The two apes switched their uniforms and Grazot shackled Frehber one again to the nearest tree. The ape began to protest and even looked like he was going to strike out but the two odd looking muskets, pointed at his body, made him reconsider.

The general glanced over at Hayes and made a snide comment comparing his _superior_ _intelligence _to that of the human's as he added; "It isn't always about firepower, gentlemen. There are thing called tactics and strategy?"

Next, Grazot got out the map and located Sigma-Three. It was about a two day hike and took them farther south than they planned, but at this point, they didn't have much of a choice. They packed up and headed out just as the rain headed in.

_This isn't finished, General_ Frehber whispered inside as he watched the traitor and the two freaks of nature walk away. …_ This isn't finished by a long shot! _

**Capital Building,** **Argos – Sigma-Twelve, Three days later**

"Lord Prefect, it is indeed an honor to see you again, Sir. We've been expecting you and have made the necessary adjustments per the courier you dispatched, yesterday" said the ranking military officer.

"Thank you Colonel Plateaus, it's good to see you again, as well. May I present General Mikos and his adjutant, Colonel Tyus?" Sullen replied as he shook the rain water from his cloak.

"Blasted rain; it never stops" Sullen said. "If it wasn't for the benefit it gives our crops, it wouldn't have any benefit at all."

"You'll get no argument from me, Lord Prefect" Colonel Plateaus said with a smile.

Plateaus exchanged formalities with Mikos and Tyus and then escorted the orangutan and two gorillas to a room containing a large table. The table displayed several small maps and a larger map draped most of the eastern wall. A second table containing fruit, bread, water and a freshly cooked pig was off to the side. The soldiers in the room rose to their feet and saluted as their commander and Lord Prefect entered.

Colonel Plateaus leaned towards the Prefect and whispered; "This is actually our war-room, Sir but I find that it boosts morale and inspires comradery when food is present."

"As you were," Sullen said as Plateaus motioned for him to sit and eat. "Gentleapes …comrades … distinguished officers, for reasons that escape logic; General Grazot has decided he's no longer satisfied with his current position. He's instead decided that mine would suit him better. ...He's decided that his will be done, that his orders be followed and that allegiance to him be absolute. He's killed General Zuglanus. He's murdered Magistrate Ndola and killed or wounded countless others in his mad hunt for power."

Sullen paused and let the group clamor a bit as his words took root. He smirked within at how easy it seemed to manipulate the emotions of the,_ brutish gorilla_. He'd often discussed it with Ndola. The Prefect took a drink of water and paused a second to meet each soldier's eyes.

One of the soldiers raised a paw, signaling that he wished to speak. The Prefect nodded, beckoning him to do so. "Thank you, Sir, I'm Major Kossas. We met years ago when I was a lieutenant during the reconstruction. It was just after the tornados ripped through our northern territories."

"Yes, I think I remember you, Major" Sullen lied. "What's on your mind?"

"What about these rumors of Humans? Rumors; originally denied, then partially substantiated, and now casually bantered about as if we had a human pet in every dwelling? Our hospitals are full of soldiers with stories that the General has allied with men whose intelligence rivals that of an ape. Men much like folk tale we tell our children. And from the looks of the wounded, Sir, I'd conclude that we're being slaughtered by them" The Major claimed, almost wishing he hadn't, once he noticed the look on Plateaus' face.

"I won't lie to you, Major or to anyone else." Sullen said, as he began to do exactly that. "He is with humans and they do possess certain _qualities_ that other humans do not. You may or may not know much of the species but they are a lot like a dog. They can be taught some tricks but every so often there might be a runt in the litter or on the opposite side; a unique Alpha-Male. And that is where you come in gentleapes. I believe that there may be pockets of bandits that have somehow survived in the banned territories. That these rouge apes have possible bred these savages in an attempt to probe our defenses..."

"Not to play the evil-one's advocate, Lord Prefect but how did a couple of so-called alpha-males make it through The Net and all the way up to Argos?" One of the other officers interrupted.

Sullen was an accomplished liar; just as accomplished as any politician. The question didn't even faze him as his cunning brain quickly sprung into action, supplying the perfect response.

"I don't have that answer. The late Magistrate was looking into it before he was killed. He suspected that the General might have been working with some accomplices'. …That there may have been bribes or payoffs of some kind. But again, I don't have an answer. The Council is in the process of appointing a new Magistrate. Once that is done I'm sure he'll pick up where Magistrate Ndola left off." Sullen stated convincingly.

The Lord Prefect finished his speech several minutes later and then began to explain their mission. The map on the wall had been given to him by his father, who had received it from his, who'd taken it from a dead human. It was highly detailed and was sealed with materials that were completely foreign to the ape. It charted the central and eastern parts of what was once the United States. The mission was simple. They were going to follow the route General Narr had taken and flush out this band of _renegades_, once and for all. Then they were going to exterminate every man or ape found.

A messenger walked in and handed a parchment to the Prefect. Sullen read the words etched in the paper and mumbled _Sigma-Three, eh_. He rolled up the document and concluded his address with; "An ape _Group Captain_ passed through Sigma-Three yesterday. The Troop Sergeant and Outpost Commander allowed him passage, per the signed orders he carried. So that means we are going to enter here at Sigma-Six. They're heading southeast according to our intelligence reports. If we follow this route here…" Sullen said pointing to the map. "…it will take us along the same course. We'll pass through some old ruins here and they'll have to do the same. Get some rest; we're heading out in the morning."


	17. Chapter 17: The Banned Territories

**Argos City, Sigma-One**

"Here's your dinner, _General. _Hahahahah." The fat gorilla guard laughing said as he slid the bowl of stew through an opening at the cell's base. It smelled rancid and that's because it almost was. Most prisoners got nothing, which to Frehber, seemed like the better option.

They'd found the ape a day after he'd been chained and left to rot on that tree. Actually Frehber had found them. He'd cried out as the large militia passed by on its way to Argos. The Group Captain had been humiliated, disgraced and mocked. The officer in charge left him in the General's uniform once Frehber filled him in on the how he'd happened to be wearing it. The soldiers had gotten quite a good laugh at his expense. The officer stated if it was good enough for a traitor to wear it was also fitting for a miserable failure.

Frehber grinned as he picked the bowl up. "This smells a lot like your mother" He said tossing the putrid liquid at the guard. The moldy slop sprayed the back and neck of the oversized guard. "Now there's something to laugh about" The Group Captain laughingly added.

"You brazen little flea, I'm going to beat some respect into you." The guard sneered back in rage. He pulled out a wooden club and walked towards the cell. Unfortunately for the guard, that was exactly what Frehber wanted him to do. Once the robust gorilla was close enough, the Group Captain jumped up, grabbing the rafters with his upper two paws. With the lower two, he reached through the bars of the cell and grabbed the gorilla's uniform at the chest. He pulled him violently forward several times, slamming his chest, head and face into the iron bars until he felt the body go limp.

The battered ape fell to the ground unconscious. Frehber dropped to the floor and grabbed the key to his cell. He unlocked his door and dragged the guard inside. Hoping it might mislead anyone who passed by, he threw an old smelly blanket over his face. Frehber grabbed the club and headed down the hall in search of an exit.

He rounded the first corner only to find that he was now facing two more guards. They already had their clubs drawn and were running Frehber's way.

_They must have heard all of that racket I made. _Frehber thought.

"You there, stop!" The ape was answered by the Group Captain's club connecting with his head. Frehber followed up the first blow with three or four more, just to make sure the gorilla would stay down. The second guard swung his baton, connecting with Frehber's shoulder and then with his back. Pain shot through the ape's body as he returned the favor by thrusting the head of his club into the guards gut. He brought the club down again on the first guard who was awkwardly attempting to rise.

The guard, who was standing, winced a bit and said "Not bad, but you'll have to do bet…" Frehber didn't wait for the gorilla to finish. His training had taught him a lot of things. One was to strike at your opponent when he wasn't expecting it. Strike swiftly, strike decisively and strike hard. He swung at the guard's leg, smashing the wooden stick into his knee. There was a distinct 'crack' as the club collided with the bone. The guard bent forward in pain allowing Frehber to use his momentum and drive the gorilla's head into the floor. He choked the guard into unconsciousness and quickly moved forward.

He navigated through several other hallways until he finally reached a stairwell leading up to a closed door. On the other side of the exit sat three armed gorillas. One was sleeping as the others sat playing some kind of card game. Further examination of the surroundings revealed a window on the far wall and it was, conveniently, to the guard's back.

_I can do this_, Frehber thought to himself. The situation was very similar to training exercises he'd done dozens of times. Alas, he didn't get the chance. Just as Frehber was moving the door forward a loud bell began to sound.

"They found the guards", he mumbled as he swung the door open jumped on top of the guard who was shaking his comrade awake. Frehber used his thrust to slam into the soldier and send him toppling into the others. Before they could react he jumped out the window and grabbed the nearest tree. However, instead of dropping to the ground and heading for the wall he climbed high and leapt on to the roof.

The Group Captain remained there all evening, doing his best to ignore the miserable cold, as the rain fell, on and off. Soldiers and patrols went in and out, back and forth, searching for the escaped prisoner. The precipitation covered any tracks that gorilla might have made as he escaped. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the garrison soldier's stopped looking, convinced that he was long gone.

From where Frehber was perched he could hear most of what was being said below. It was a popular activity called: _The blame-game_. It finally ended with an order being issued by some officer he could only guess was the; _ape-in-charge_. "Dispatch a message to Sigma-Twelve. Tell them the prisoner was shot while attempting to escape and that we've burned the body. If that fool wants to take his chances in that poison out there, then let him."

Frehber shook his head wondering where integrity had fled to. He waited another hour or so and once things had quieted down, he dropped to the ground, scanning the area as he thought through his next move. He quickly ducked behind a wall as a passing patrol strolled by. Once they were out of sight he sized up the situation.

There were two towers housing one gorilla each and a gate guard at their base. The guard at the gate was huddled in small hut, if you could call it that, trying to stay dry. One of the guards in the leftmost tower looked like he was asleep, while the other casually paced around in boredom, yawning.

Frehber slowly scalded the tower on the right. He was thankful that the rain was helping to muffle his sounds as he climbed. _I'm going to have to do this just right. I won't get a second chance,_ he surmised.

Once he was on top he slipped in and pulled the gorilla into a headlock. He covered the ape's mouth with his opposite paw and Frehber squeezed until the primate fell unconscious. The Group Captain used rope and supplies in the apes field pack to quickly bind and gag him.

He slipped down and disabled the ape at the gate in a very similar fashion. Next, he casually made his way to a stable, peering in quietly verifying that he was alone. Once he was certain, he saddled a horse, grabbed some provisions and nonchalantly walked the steed out of the gate and into the Banned Territories. After he was out a few hundred feet out, he climbed on the horse and rode off in search of Grazot and his pets.

**The ruins of Buffalo, New York**

General Grazot and the men seemed to be making good time. And Grazot was glad to finally be past the bad weather. The sky was overcast but the rain had stopped. That was beneficial as it kept most of summer heat from beating down like an angry task-master. But Grazot was mostly grateful for the bridge that was still intact. The thought of crossing through water again made him feel quite uneasy.

They'd gotten through the net with relative ease, thanks to Group Captain Frehber, and his written orders. Grazot had even been able to acquire three horses and some much needed rations, as well. There were no signs that they were being followed and the General was glad to finally be beyond his boarders.

The ape gazed at the ruins with wonder. Whatever this place was now, it had at one time been a huge city; larger than any ape city in his country, bay far. Most of it was rubble but several buildings still stood tall, or relatively so, far off in the distance. A few looked like they reached to the clouds.

"Look at it Tom. It looks like something out of the apocalypse…By the way, welcome home; we're in the good 'ole USA." Hayes said as he held up the field pad.

"Home…" March answered somberly "If DC is like this we may end up calling this rock our home."

"Someone must have survived … somewhere," Hayes said. Although he had a hard time actually believing it.

The trio rode down a path that at one time was probably a highway or main route of travel. They skirted large chunks of stone and concrete as Grazot asked a barrage of questions; assuming the two men knew every detail about the leveled city. They didn't have a lot of answers but were able to explain that the large body of water to their southwest was actually a lake, not an ocean, as he thought it was.

"What do you think, Sir? Should we check it out? Maybe there's a library or armory someplace. There possibly might even be people here. If we're lucky maybe we'll find something similar to that radar display back on the island." Hayes asked.

"Some of those buildings look relatively intact but they're a good ways away and there's dirt and rubble everywhere. We'll eventually have to leave these horses and go forward on foot" March answered.

"Suits me fine, I'm still not used to riding this thing and I'm getting blisters in places I'd rather not mention. What do you say we find a used car lot and trade these things in for a '64 corvette?" Hayes chuckled.

As the three outlaws made their way closer and closer into the city, their horses flinched and neighed nervously.

"We're not alone. Ready your weapons. …Right now!" Grazot said as he drew his out his flintlock.

"How can you tell?" March asked as he removed the M103 from his shoulder and switched the off the safety. There was something in the way Grazot said; _Right Now_ that made the Major believe he knew exactly what he was talking about.

"The horses …trust me I speak from experience. Someone or some kind of animal is close by." Grazot replied as he patted the mount on its neck in an attempt to sooth its anxieties.

"He's right Tom. Something just moved over there." Hayes said pointing at a half crumbled structure.

In the blink of an eye several dozen figures emerged from behind rocks and crumbled buildings. They charged at the three like an angry mob. Some were human and others were a variety of ape, similar to chimps but very savage looking. They were almost naked and looked like some kind of prehistoric flock of cave dwellers, with ratty looking hair and mangy beards. The group was growling and shouting something about killing and eating but it was primitive, broken English. They were armed with rocks and sticks.

Grazot aimed his pistol and fired into the group as a rock bounced off his massive form. He hit one of the lead rushers in the stomach. The ape dropped the weapon and drew his dagger but never had a chance to use it. The sound of automatic weapons fire made everyone jump and Hayes almost fell from his hoses as it leapt up in fright.

The rushing horde was abruptly cut asunder. Bodies flew apart, while others simply dropped lifelessly to the ground or slammed into the rock-strewn debris. Screams and cries replaced the roaring and shouting. Grazot gazed on in awe. One weapon had just cut down what had to be eighty … he struggled for the word settling on … _attackers_. Some were human but others were simian.

As quickly as they'd emerged the ones that could, scurried back into wherever it was they'd crawled out from. March dismounted and walked forward to one of the fatally wounded. It was a human male who looked to be no more than thirteen. The bleeding individual reached up and gasped out "ee-aate …f-oh-dah". March's brain interoperated the words just as a parent does when a toddler speaks; _eat _and _food_ …_He's hungry!_

Hayes, who had also dismounted said; "His eyes… He looks retarded, Tom …almost insane." The astronaut dropped a piece of dried beef. The wounded man snatched it up and shoved it in his mouth. He died before he could even bite into it. The few who'd fled showed themselves again but seemed to possess enough intelligence to stop when March lifted his rifle and pointed in their direction.

"That's an ape!" Grazot said, pointing at one of the emerged figures. She was making a similar garbled plea for food. They all were.

"Let's get out of here, Sir. I feel like I'm in a zombie movie. Who knows how many more are out there" Hayes pleaded.

Deep within, March was in agreement but he was also very curious to peer into a city that was six hundred years in the future, even if 80% of it was in ruin. There could be something of value and the Major didn't want to pass it up because of a few mutated cavemen.

"Keep that rifle ready Jonny." March ordered as he slung his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed a pair of binoculars.

March peered though at the buildings in the distance. Nothing particular caught his eye. He concluded that Hayes was right. Even if they ventured forward they'd have to leave the horses. Once they did that, the animals were as good as cannibalized. He placed the binos back in their case and tossed some food towards the survivors in the opposite direction. He mounted his horse and began to speak as a musket ball cracked past. It spooked his horse who threw him off in a panic. March hit the ground with a thud as he smacked the back of his head into the concrete. The mutated apes and humans who were tearing into the food panicked and scattered in every direction.

"Don't move or the next shot won't be a near miss" a voice shouted.

Hayes scanned the area trying to determine where the gun fire and shout had originated. He reached casually for a grenade but stopped when the invisible gunmen spoke up again. "I said don't move and that means everyone. So help me I'll shoot you if I have to! Lay down your weapons and dismount"

Grazot and Hayes did as they were instructed. The sniper gave them a few more instructions and then stepped out into the open. It was Group Captain Frehber.

**The Banned Territories – Formerly Hamilton ON, Canada**

General Mikos peered through the eyepiece at the landscape beyond. He pondered within as he scanned the various remnants and scattered wreckage. There wasn't a lot of it but there was enough to suggest that a large city occupied the area at one time. He handed the primitive spyglass to Tyus and asked; "What do you think Colonel? Did they move east or southeast?"

"It's hard to say Sir. We don't really know where their final destination is. However, according to the intelligence the Lord Prefect provided, we do have vague idea. Given that, my instincts say they headed southeast. If this weather keeps up we'll be able to pick up their tracks eventually." Tyus answered.

"Sir, if I may; what is this place? Who and where are the apes who built it?" Tyus inquired changing the subject.

"I don't know, Tyus. But it's obvious that they're all dead. This whole place was poisoned long ago. Nothing can survive out here for an extended period of time. The sooner we accomplish our mission and get back home the happier I'll be. Supreme General Narr and his entire Contingent never returned. They're probably rotting away in some toxic mess. This place isn't fit for Ape or beast." Mikos answered.

The two gorillas turned their attention back to the matter at hand. Tyus ordered scouting parties to ride east and south in an attempt to pick up Grazot's trail. Sullen had given strict orders that they were to avoid any of the ruins. He was still preaching his scare tactics about the area being completely contaminated.

The scouting units returned a few hours later. "Sir, we picked up their trail about three miles to the south." Captain Sulabon reported. "They're about eighteen to twenty hours ahead of us. However there's a second trail of one rider who headed in he same direction."

"Colonel, give the order to break down camp and tell everyone to prepare to move out within the hour." General Mikos ordered.

Mikos made his report to Sullen, filling him in on the information he'd just received. The Prefect walked over to the map he had laid out and traced his fingers southeast.

He shook his head as he said "We missed them. They've already passed through."

"They could be traveling at night." Mikos replied not realizing that, that was exactly what they'd been doing. The General and his posse still possessed two sets of NVG and they were taking advantage of the fact.

Sullen grit his teeth as he realized he'd lost yet another opportunity. He sent General Mikos out on some useless errand and unlocked a chest. He pulled out an odd looking mechanism and said "May the great ape above help me but I've no choice. This has to end now."


	18. Chapter 18: The Ruins of Buffalo

**The ruins of Buffalo, New York**

Group Captain Frehber stepped out from behind the rubble with a pistol aimed at the trio. He'd ordered them to dismount and huddle against a large slab, where they could be easily managed. In his opposite paw he held a blood soaked dagger. "Don't let this concern you. It's not for you." He said holding up the blade. "Well, unless you force my paw, that is. These …_things_ just needed an education. First, was that I'm not the _main course_…or any course, for that matter".

"Nice looking outfit, _Group General_." Grazot mockingly said, making a snide reference to his old uniform. "Just what do you want, Frehber?"

"What do you think I want, General Grazot; Power, revenge, truth? Maybe I'm getting used to this uniform and just want to rule. Maybe I want to shackle you up and leave you to rot, just as you did to me." He shot back. Frehber tucked the pistol and dagger in his belt and picked up an M-103.

"Magnificent piece of work" Frehber noted as he pointed it directly at Grazot. "Ok General, here is what's going to happen. You and your furless monkeys are coming with me. They're going to tie you and then one will tie the other and I will bind the last. You'll all be gagged and if you resist, I'll use this thing here to kill you on the spot. Am I clear? There is a Contingent just west of here. You'll be turned over to them and who knows, I might just get to keep this uniform. _General Frehber_, hmmm, now I could definitely get used to that" Frehber stated in bitter sarcasm.

The gorilla Group Captain threw some rope their way and began to issue orders. However, the sight of falling dust and gravel caused him to suddenly take pause. The next thing he noticed was that his captives were no longer looking at him but were peering upward. No sooner had the ape turned to look when a large stone struck him in the head. He buckled slightly and unintentionally squeezed the trigger. The weapon fired a round that slammed off a wall just missing Grazot's head.

Several of the savage apes dropped on top of Frehber while some of the primitive looking humans rushed to their aid. They had rocks, sticks, and clubs and were viciously battering the Group Captain. If he'd been human he would have died where he stood. His massive bulk and strength absorbed much of the attack but there were simply too many coming at him, too quickly.

A small number of the attackers broke off and headed towards March, Hayes, and Grazot. The General didn't wait for the crowd to arrive and leapt directly into the center with his arms and fists flying. He landed on what appeared to be the ring-leader and pummeled the beast with all his might. That caused some of the mob to scatter, while others stood back and threw debris.

March and Hayes were forced to fend for themselves and grabbed whatever was close, swinging violently at the aggressors. Hayes felt grateful that part of his training had included close physical combat. The man had youth and stamina on his side. For a human he was pretty stout, but before joining the Air Force he'd been just an average 'Joe' who'd never fought with anyone. He'd had the occasional scarp, as a teen, but he'd never had to fight like this. March, however, had a history of brawling since his childhood. He'd also boxed in college and in the Air Force. That worked out well for him with the human assailants but the simians were too agile, too fast and too strong. One swipe from a random chimp sent him toppling aside.

_I need a gun,_ shot through March's mind as he rolled several feet forward. However the mob stood between him and his desire. And that was the least of Tom's worries. The hostile chimp jumped at the dazed Air Force Major and slammed into him as it bit into the man's shoulder. The force threw March to the ground while the thrust carried the chimp farther.

The ape slammed into the side of what was once a small building. The wall, and what remained of a roof, crumbled and fell. The wounded chimp cried out like a scared child as the falling rubble pinned its body in a dusty concrete grave. Though he was preoccupied March had already concluded that these _people_ weren't firing on all cylinders, so to speak. They showed intelligence, if you could call it that. Some even spoke, again if you could call it that, but they were more animalistic than rational; almost adolescent.

March heard Hayes cry out as he was pummeled by multiple assailants. But, Tom had problems of his own. Human attackers were throwing rocks and various forms of wreckage and had the Major pinned down. There was no way he was going to reach his friend.

Grazot was holding his own, but Frehber was struggling and beginning to buckle. The General was tossing bodies around like he'd been doing it his whole life; and in his case he probably had. Fortunately for Hayes the gorilla General heard the man's cry as well. He grabbed the closest attacker by the throat and swung him like a club. Grazot thrust the body so violently that the man's neck broke instantly. Bodies flew while others simply fell or scattered.

Hayes suddenly found himself going from the roll of victim to that of spectator. He picked up an old weathered piece of iron and worked his way towards the rife lying several feet ahead. He swung at a man to his side and watched him fall promptly to the ground as he introduced the metal rod to his face. He rolled the thick piece of iron back and struck another in the shoulder. He actually felt some regret when he noticed it was just a boy; probably no older than thirteen. The child whimpered and cradled it's wound in fear.

The rifle was close but there was just too much confusion. The more foes they killed or neutralized the more that seemed to appear. He attempted to push on but suddenly felt an immense pain and then nothing. The astronaut fell quickly to the ground.

The ape beat its chest and grunted as it stood over the body of Captain Hayes. It raised its claws and howled at a few of its fellow assailants who wanted a share of the bounty. The ape's victory rant didn't last long as it too felt the sting of pain from Grazot's dagger traveling through its heart.

Grazot raised the beast high and flung him into the group attacking March. "The weapons, General…get the weapons." March yelled as he came out of hiding and drove a sharp piece of metal through an attacker's chest.

Grazot slashed at a few more thugs and finally reached a rifle as a human male struck him with a crude looking club. Grazot back-pawed the man, sending him flying off to one side. The General picked up the rifle and slid a finger over the trigger. He was well aware of how the weapon worked and a big part of him was eager to see it in action. He quickly looked for any targets of opportunity and fired away.

The loud sounds of repeating gunfire, once again, caused the attackers to scatter in panic. March didn't hesitate to make a dash for the other rifle. He contemplated tossing a grenade but they were too close in proximity and why waste ammunition that wasn't replaceable.

"Help him." Grazot ordered, pointing to the few remaining aggressors pulling Frehber's body away. March hesitated slightly but finally concluded that Grazot had his reasons. The soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of a man's head. Without hesitation March pivoted and clubbed a second assailant across his face. The remaining chimp was rewarded with a bullet in the chest. It wailed like an infant as it drew back.

"You're going to have to lift him General. He's too heavy for me." March said as he turned towards Hayes who was regaining conscientiousness.

Hayes put his hand to the back of his head and felt a wet dirty mess. He brought the hand to his face and looked at the blood. His uniform was ripped and strewn with blood and dirt, as well. He noticed the pain in his left forearm as he tried to leverage himself up. "First my ribs now this crap", Captain Hayes muttered quietly. "By the time we reach Washington I'll be so broken down, you won't be able to tell the difference between me and the relics."

Grazot grabbed Captain Frehber and laid his body over one of the horses. Next he rounded up the supplies as he noticed the attackers scurrying about. He picked up a huge chunk of concrete that weighed close to six hundred pounds. Grazot growled like an animal and threw it into the ruins. Dust and fragments flew everywhere as half standing walls and decaying structures collapsed to the ground. Without hesitation, Grazot picked up a second slab and repeated his actions.

"Hopefully they just got the message," he said. "Help Hayes and let's get moving. If Frehber was right about that Contingent being out there I want to get as much distance between us and them as we can."

"I agree but I need a minute to catch my breath. However, we're too far into the city to turn back and even if we did where are we going to go? It's too large to bypass. We'll have to go through at some point and according to the GPS…" March hesitated to clarify. "…According to our _map_, this is the most direct route."

It was still light out but the sun was beginning to set. A faint flash followed by a dull echo of thunder caught the attention of the small group. It only took a second but it silhouetted northern parts of ruins. It was there for a millisecond and then gone.

"What's that? There's light coming from spot in the distance." Grazot said as he peered through a set of binoculars. "Its too far away, even with these" he said "There's a lot of dust too but the smoke resembles that of black-powder" The ape concluded as he handed March the goggles.

March gazed through the field glasses and squinted as he tried to focus on the tiny images. "It's an explosion alright…wait I see someone …apes …I think. It's too hard to tell. But you'd better take a look General. I think they're soldiers." He said as he handed the binoculars back to Grazot.

"It's hard to tell. My eyes are not what they were when I was a young ape. Maybe it's just more of the scavengers looking for food" Grazot replied.

"I don't think we could recon successfully. The General is right; who knows how many more of those mutated apes and humans there are between here and there?" Hayes stated, jumping into the conversation.

"I – I might kn-now of a way." The wounded Captain Frehber mumbled out.

**Ancient ruins NW of old Buffalo, New York**

Prefect Sullen was a disciplined ape but the events of the past few months were slowly strangling his self-control. And the news he'd just received from the ape messenger was just about to push him over the edge. Two humans were turning his whole civilization upside-down and the more he tried to manage it, the more it spun out of control. His trusted colleague and long time friend, Ndola was dead, so he had no one with whom he could vent. His father and grandfather had spent a lifetime building a society that was now disintegrating at blinding speed.

Their arrival was unraveling his entire universe. He paced in his command center as he did his best to deal with the rage and anger he was experiencing. Sullen poured himself some wine but as soon as he took a sip he found he wasn't thirsty. He sat for a minute and then rose and paced some more. Finally, the Lord Prefect downed the alcohol, in one gulp, hoping it would steady his nerves. This was not a time to sit or pace about like an anxious child. It was time to lead and time to end this madness once and for all. A minute and a second swallow of wine later the Prefect stepped out of his tent and beckoned for Mikos.

"How bad did the report state things were?" Sullen asked.

"Kawaka, Arum, Titus, Abila, parts of Oreus and the surrounding settlements have been in full rebellion for several weeks. Governor Caeleon and Prefect Vertis were hung, in Abila. Several of the local Magistrates and civil officials have been shot or hung as well. Major Stellos has had mild effect bring order to Oreus but most of the city is burning. The armories and food stores were raided in all of the cities and anarchy is in effect, just about everywhere. The garrison was attacked at Titus and the city is reported to be smoldering ash. The Council has fled the Capital. Their whereabouts are unknown." General Mikos reported.

He paused to exhale and went on, "Kuo, Argos, Rizinia, and the settlements west of Isca-Coria are stable due do a moderate military presence but they're spread thin. They can't move east for fear that the rest of the nation will become unstable in their absence. The good news, if you can call it _good_, is that the rebels are unable to move west as well. They probed Rizinia and were slaughtered. That's served as a lesson to others with similar notions of conquest. Unfortunately this information is at least ten days old. I have scouts heading north but it will be a good day or two until the first groups return" General Mikos reported.

Mikos finished the high-level report but Sullen said nothing, so the General continued. "There's more, Sir and it pains me that I have to bring you the news but the dispatch also reports that the mobs were rounding up the families of The Council. Priscilla is dead, Sir; hung in Kawaka. I am truly sorry. She gave her life so that your sons and daughter could escape."

"My w-wife… was he certain?" Sullen asked in a quiet voice.

"He claims to have witnessed it, Sir. I am sorry. I have family in Kawaka too and I'm worried that they've suffered a similar fate. …My son's are young and strong but my wife is old and has not been well… We should turn back. Let Grazot die in this forsaken waste of a space. We need to address this civil war promptly" Mikos said.

"And what of my children? Where are they now?" Sullen inquired with strong emotion.

"They're in route to Isca-Coria and are probably there by now." Mikos answered. He had no way to verify the statement but was attempting to comfort the grieving Prefect.

"I've handled this wrong." Sullen confessed in bitterness. "When I should have been leading I was delegating. I sent an entire Contingent blindly into the Banned Territories with Supreme General Narr and they're gone. I've allowed soldier after soldier, military leader after military leader to be slaughtered. Our militia is forty percent of what it was just a month ago. And that's not to mention the losses in our civil sectors."

"Come with me" Sullen continued as he motioned for Mikos to step into his command post. His mind was struggling to lead while his emotions were telling him to lash out in rage over the loss of his dear wife. He pushed the thought away as he stepped inside.

"You're right General, we need to deal with this rebellion and we need to deal with it now. Or by the time we catch Grazot there won't be a nation left to save. However, those humans have to be dealt with and though you may not agree, they are just as big a threat as this uprising is. I want you to get with your leadership and come up with a plan. You are going to leave a skeleton force at Argos. It's 100% military and will still be able to perform its mission with half its militia. The soldiers you take forward will allow you to stabilize things as you move north. However, I want Colonel Tyus, a scout, a demolitionist, and two reliable, seasoned footapes to remain behind with me. Finally, and I want this to sink in deep; you will deal harshly with any and all rebels. No mercy. No compromises. I want it public and I want it bloody" Sullen ordered.

That night plans were prepared and orders were issued. The next morning, Mikos headed north with the all but five of his Contingent. Sullen once again was faced with the decision to boldly lie or to simply state the truth and let the chips fall where they may. At this point he no longer cared who knew what. If he had to burn civilization to the ground and rebuild it with just a _pawful_ of apes, he was going to do just that.

"So what are your orders, Lord Prefect?" Colonel Tyus asked.

"We're going to follow this." Sullen said as he held up the small device he was removing from a pocket.

Sullen pushed a button as the device _beeped _and began to glow. Next he pivoted left and right in an attempt to gain a signal. Finally, the small shiny object sounded off with several _beeps_ in rapid succession followed by a dull flash of green light and then it _spoke_; _Authentication_

"I authenticate; Whiskey Mike Seven Echo Five Zulu Zulu" Sullen read off a paper as the apes in the room looked at each other in confusion. One began to speak but stopped abruptly when the Prefect sharply raised a paw in protest.

_Authentication accepted. Primary target identified … South by Southeast ... Four two four one degrees Latitude …Seven eight three nine degrees Longitude _

The gorillas stepped back in apprehension as the glow softened and the object hummed faintly. Sullen placed the device on a table and pressed a button. A dull green, 3D image of the city appeared above the object with a red crosshair blinking on one of buildings.

"Prefect!" Lieutenant Gaius exclaimed in fear. "What kind of witchcraft…" The ape instinctively drew his pistol but it was more out of fear than anything else.

"Gaius!" Colonel Tyus said sharply. Although something deep within was telling him that the Lieutenant had made the right choice.

"It's alright, Colonel. Don't be alarmed gentleapes and you can holster that weapon, Lieutenant." Sullen answered. "There was a reason I brought us to this spot. When our civilization fought off its threats during our migration north, as well as, the Purging we hid weapons and supplies in case those threats returned, one day. There are several of these locations in remote parts of our nation. This mechanism is designed to locate those places. My hope was to secure enough to arm large portions of the militia but as you know we have more immediate needs that required a change in plans. Thus, we will secure what we can carry and pursue the General on our own"

"But Sir, who…I mean where…" Gaius tried to ask calmly. His head was spinning off questions faster than his tongue could get them out.

"Ancient knowledge, Lieutenant, knowledge from long ago and knowledge lost long before any of us where ever born. This tool was preserved along with this…" Sullen replied holding up a small booklet. "I don't fully understand it myself but I do know that it will give us more than a fighting chance to save our society and way of life, as we know it."

The Lord Prefect ordered the group to tear down camp and prepare to move out as quickly as possible. Within the hour they were moving south. They reached the outskirts of the ancient city just before nightfall. As they moved in closer there was distinct humming that seemed odd but quite calming. They moved in approximately a half mile until they came to what was once an opening that led downward. There were rocks and rubble sealing the entrance.

"Ok this is it." Sullen said. "Clear as much of it as you can. Once we reach the door I want charges set."

The apes did as they were instructed. Huge chunks were piled high at the direction of the demolitionist. This would serve as a buffer when the charges went off. Under the rubble was a solid stone stairwell leading to a door that looked like glass but felt as strong as iron.

Lieutenant Gaius carefully put the munitions in place. He arranged the objects in their particular order and linked the kegs together. Next, he ran a fuze that led up the stairs and behind the barricade. He took his time double-checking distances and the tolerances. Once he was satisfied he shouted; "Charge away!" and lit the fuze. As the smoke rose the demolitionist quickly joined the others behind the crude wall they'd built.

_Ka-boom …_

The heavy door gave way to the blast, spraying its shattered remains into the corridor beyond. Whining followed as air rushed into the vacuum of the once sealed space. Thick layers of smoke mixed with dust swirled and rose in black puffy clouds. A bright light emanated from the opening but there was no fire.

"Access opened, Sir!" Lieutenant Gaius said.

"Good Work Lieutenant. Colonel get your gear together, we're moving forward immediately" The Lord Prefect ordered.


	19. Chapter 19: Enemies Confronted

**Below the ruins of Buffalo, New York**

The corridor went on for what seemed like forever. The space was cramped but that's because it hadn't been built with nine foot gorillas in mind. The more the Colonel and Lieutenant moved in, the less comfortable they felt. None of it was right. Light where there was no sun or fire, the cool comfortable temperature, even the material of the walls, floor and ceiling seemed unnatural.

It gave the primitive visitors the impression that it was almost _alive_. There was a faint sporadic hum in the walls. The gentle pulsing sounded like a heartbeat. A continuous series of flat metal plates joined together to form moving walkways where long distances existed. The surface was a combination of metal and rubber, providing traction, comfort, and stability. It was an odd sensation to the soldiers. The pristine conditioned walkways didn't even create a sound, as the heavy weight of the apes and their equipment was placed on them.

_I should have asked to stay behind with the others_, Gaius thought. The young gorilla had become a soldier for the pay and steady work. He had no aspirations of conquest or glory. Gaius was quite intelligent and equally as lazy. _Ease and comfort;_ that was his motto. Soldiering was more of job than a service to the nation. It brought advantages and disadvantages but he was content with his salary and position.

He'd learned very soon that being a grunt didn't pull in much of an income. It also put him at the bottom of the food chain. So he'd leveraged his skills as an engineer to get himself placed as a munitions instructor with the rank of Technical Corporal and then requested training to become an officer. Less work and better pay, he figured.

Gaius had the reputation of being a confident straightforward ape. In reality it was more an attitude of not giving a damn. He didn't care who thought what. As long as he had _his_ the world was fine. He was a good demolitionist. He loved working with gunpowder and it would probably kill him someday. Blowing up trees and knocking down rocks was simply 'fun' for him and why not get paid doing something you enjoy.

The only drawback was that the Lieutenant was a bit of a jokester. It had gotten him in trouble a few times and though he was never openly insubordinate he often flirted with the concept.

"I don't like this Prefect. I don't like it at all. I can't shake this uneasy feeling" Tyus said quietly. "This isn't right. It isn't natural. The apes who built this must have had the knowledge of the gods"

"I completely understand, Colonel. It shook me up too …the first time I was here." Sullen replied.

"The _first time_ you were …_here_?" the puzzled ape officer answered with a confused expression.

"I'm not asking you to shake off your concerns but to simply make peace with them" Sullen responded as he looked back to address them both. "Listen to me. This is not magic. It is not witchcraft. It is not wisdom that fell from the great ape above. It's as I stated before; knowledge; knowledge long lost. Focus on the mission at hand and we will be out of here before you know it."

"He doesn't seem to be all that 'lost' with it" Lieutenant Gaius whispered to his superior accompanied by a mocking grin. The expression Tyus returned conveyed a clear message that his editorial comments weren't appreciated.

The Prefect took in the sarcasm with a deep breath as the weight of the mission made him feel fatigued. He'd kept the secret about humans his whole life and for the first time, he found himself questioning that strategy. For a moment he considered turning around and heading for home. No secret was worth more than the lives of his family; who were probably all dead. His problems were just beginning. Even if he captured and eventually killed those humans he still had a civil war to deal with.

"Yes Colonel, _here_." Sullen said as his mind snapped back to present. "It was about thirty four, thirty five, thirty six years ago. The exact number escapes me. Prefect Ollow, my father, brought me here. Ndola and some of the current Council were here too"

Sullen held up the device he'd been using and continued. "This mechanism gentleapes was constructed centuries ago by the inhabitants of this city or one like it anyway. An amazing gadget, is it not? …a box that speaks, that produces sounds and light… What's even more amazing is that the ones who built it were…" He paused briefly and then said "human."

Gaius laughed, in disbelief, as Colonel Tyus squinted wondering if he'd heard the right words come out the Lord Prefect's mouth. Lieutenant Gaius, however, stopped abruptly when he realized his leader was not joking.

"Yes …humans." Sullen said looking squarely at Gaius. "Humans who built all of this you see here. And who built the city above. And who eventually destroyed it all in their insane pursuit for …whatever. The ones that knew how this device functioned were captured after the great explosion just prior to our migration north. It predates the Purging that would soon follow. In exchange for their lives the humans demonstrated and explained its functionality. Once it was verified and tested those humans were executed. If set free they would have simply regrouped and caused even greater destruction."

The Prefect went on to explain his concerns regarding the current human threat. The conversation seemed to mirror the one he'd had weeks ago with his three Generals. The same questions were asked and the same answers given.

Gaius spoke up as the pieces in his mind started to fall in place "It would certainly explain why an esteemed ape such as Grazot would appear to throw his life away. He's just trading it in for what he considers to be an improvement. If you could control this … this …_human knowledge_, you'd be unstoppable. He obviously plans to use the humans in the same manner our founders did with _that thing there_" Gaius concluded by pointing at the device

"Do you see the danger, gentleapes? At the mere mention of these facts the poison begins to affect the mind with delusions of glory" The Prefect stated.

"Whoa Sir… I never said I wanted to join the General in his quest for godhood …" Gaius spoke up quite defensively.

"No one is accusing you of treason Lieutenant" Sullen replied. "At the rate our society is decaying, the General may end up simply ruling himself. And if I'm honest with myself, I'd have to admit that there may be advantages to tapping into this knowledge. If we'd been properly equipped we could have stopped this before it ever escalated beyond Arum."

A few minutes later the moving walkway slowed to a stop.

_Please watch your step as you disembark_ a female sounding voice from _nowhere_ said.

_Western Conduit, Section G, Authorized Personnel Only beyond this point, _Lieutenant Gaius read. The Prefect had them stop for a moment. He swiped the device against a dull black pad in the wall just shy of a large archway. It beeped softly as the ceiling panels above them began to retract.

_Authentication accepted. Please step forward for security scan,_ the mechanical sounding voce ordered.

"Do exactly as you're instructed." Sullen stated bluntly.

An automated voice gave a series of instructions that the apes followed to the letter. They grudgingly removed all weapons and equipment, as the automated voice commanded. Next, the apes walked through the arch one at a time and slowly. It lit up with a bright blue white light. A hum, accompanied by a low buzzing sound could be heard as the light pulsed across their bodies.

_Simian gene-o identified. Threat level; Moderate. Specimen cleared for testing. Secondary files opened. Executing data uplink _

Once they were through the Arch they found themselves again walking down a long corridor. It ended at a, "T", forcing them right or left. An informational map with arrows pointing left or right was displayed on the center of the wall.

"_Ape Testing Facility_?" Gaius read aloud. "Humans operated on simians?"

"Something like that" The Prefect answered hoping it would satisfy the ape's curiosity.

Sullen browsed the list, found what he was looking for and mumbled, "Ok this way." As he pointed to the right

_How much farther can it be?_ Lieutenant Gaius thought to himself as he noted that the Lord Prefect immediately going back to gazing at his mystical contraption as if his life depended on it. Gaius suddenly noted the expressions on the Lord Prefect's face. _Something isn't right_ he thought.

The machine occasionally spoke which didn't help easy his already unsteady nerves. Finally after what seemed like weeks of walking the metallic halls, they stopped at a shiny square door.

Without warning a siren began to ring out. The lights went from white to red. The three apes turned their heads simultaneously as the sounds of distant gunfire caught their attention.

**The ruins of Buffalo, New York**

"We need to move faster, General. It's going to be dark soon" March said as they moved further into the ruins, towards the faint glow.

Frehber stated that he'd arrived just after nightfall and noticed a bright light peering out of the darkened city. He'd set out to investigate and was jumped by the mutated savages inhabiting the ancient metropolis. He killed several as he moved forward but noticed that the closer he got to the light source the less he was pursued. There was something the savages feared. He hoped it was simply an ignorant superstition.

"I'm moving as quickly as I can. Maybe you'd like to help carry the good Captain, a little." Grazot replied.

Minutes later they reached the entrance, if it could be called that. There was a huge fissure in the ground. Rubble and stone surround it. It led to a tunnel; a well lit tunnel.

Hayes peered down cautiously. "Wow that must drop at least a hundred yards, if not more. Maybe it's a subway, Tom, but I can't make out any tracks."

"And whatever's down there is still generating power" March added.

They rested for a moment and tended to the injured Group Captain who was recovering surprisingly well. March knotted a rope and instructed Hayes to secure it to something solid. Once they were ready they lowered themselves down and moved forward. They didn't get far before they all abruptly stopped.

"Well, I guess we know why the city inhabitants stay clear of the area." Hayes said as he looked at the skeletal corpses several feet ahead. "I'd suggest we don't move"

"And just what should we do? Stand here like idiots?" Captain Frehber said.

"You're welcome to step forward anytime you want, pal" Hayes shot back. "See that narrow passage ahead with that _large box_? Well that's most likely a security point of some kind and I'm guessing they don't kindly to trespassers. So please …why don't you waltz on up there and prove me wrong? For all we know there may be someone down here who doesn't want visitors."

The gorilla snarled. His first thought was to pick up the scrawny man and throw him down the passage. He stepped forward slightly but stopped when Grazot firmly tugged him back and instructed him to shut his mouth.

"What's the call, people …uh, I mean _guys_?" Hayes continued. "Maybe we should just head back."

"No" Grazot blurted out. "I didn't come this far to turn back at the sight of a few dead bodies"

"Sir?" Hayes asked looking at March

March sighed for a second as he thought things over. His curiosity wanted to push forward but his commonsense was telling him he was walking into a death trap. He raised his binoculars and slowly looked down the passage. He couldn't see any evidence of footprints in the dust and dirt. He adjusted his view slightly as he attempted to read the faded words on the just past the arch. "…_Armory_." He read out loud

"We're moving forward, slowly." March instructed "Jonny, you take point. I'll bring up the rear. The General and our new _friend_ will cover the flanks…as cramped as they may be. Like I said, slow and easy. If we have to fire it isn't going to be fun; shells are going to ricochet in every direction. Ok, let's move…"

"Wait, I have an idea" Frehber interjected. "Look at the angle on the wounds of the victims. They were hit from above. Look at that one there..." the gorilla said as he pointed at the dusty corpse. "…It was obviously hit from two directions. My guess is that it came from _there_ and _there_" Frehber finished as he pointed out two spots on the ceiling base just before the security station."

"So what's your plan?" March asked.

"Well it isn't to shoot our way through, that's for sure. I suggest that I lead followed by General Grazot. We'll use this debris for shielding. If anything shows itself we can take them out simultaneously."

By debris, Frehber was referring to an enormous piece of granite that had fallen when the tunnel collapsed. March had to admit that the idea sounded better than opening fire in the confined space. It also meant that they wouldn't have to arm the newest member of their quartet. Frehber was cooperating but March didn't trust the ape one bit.

Grazot suggested the possibility of using a grenade but abandoned the idea when March explained it would most likely take out the weapons and all of them in the process. The General persuaded the men to try the Group Captain's plan. The gorilla seemed to regard the Captain's opinions with a degree of professional respect and confidence. Frehber's suggestion was quite solid, in theory. He even had them set up a barricade, to fall back to, in case things didn't go quite as planned. The more the ape talked the more March agreed.

As the group stepped forward they were startled by an automated voice;

_Please authenticate_

…

_Please authenticate_

…

_You have entered a secured area. You have twenty seconds to enter the authentication code or exit the area. _At that point the voice began to count backwards from twenty.

"Ok, twenty seconds, make it count" March said.

_Security alert … Western Conduit, Section H, unauthorized personnel … Initiating lockdown_

The lights turned from a clear white to red. A high pitched alarm sounded as two clear plates that resembled glass began to lower. One, approximately five feet behind, and the other, just shy of the security arch. The ceiling opened and two mechanical devices that looked like small cannons lowered.

"NOW!" General Grazot shouted as the gorillas let their chunks of granite fly. Grazot hit the first gadget with such force that it snapped at the base. Sparks flew and lights flashed as wires fizzled to and fro. Hydraulic fluid sprayed the area briefly until finally the damaged pieces eventually fell silent. Huge unspent rounds spilled to the ground.

Unfortunately the Group Captain threw his projectile a moment too late. The fact that he was wounded didn't help his aim either. The automated gun fired and hit the boulder sending it slightly off its course. The impact damaged the maneuvering mechanism but the weapon still fired.

Bullets sprayed as the two humans dove for cover. March wailed in pain as one of the rounds ripped flesh from his thigh. Hayes was well concealed behind granite that had fallen to its side. Oddly, the shots did not ricochet as they hit the clear barriers. They made a dull thud as they impacted and dropped to the ground.

Grazot jumped up and bent the barrel as he attempted to get the weapon to fire on itself. The hot metal could be felt on the gorilla's paw, despite the fact he was wearing leather gloves. The massive weight of the gorilla loosened the already damaged weapon. It broke free and sent the General toppling downward. Grazot landed flat on his back as what was left of the device drove itself into his chest.

_Weapon systems compromised. Secondary defenses coming online. _

_Click-click-click-click _sounded off in rapid succession as small circular plates in the walls retracted, followed by a steady _Hiiiiisssssssss_

"Gas Johnny. We're being hit with gas." March said, instinctively covering his mouth with the sleeve of his filthy uniform.

March called out to Frehber instructing him to break the glass barrier but Frehber didn't answer. The ape was either dead or unconscious as March noticed he was lying face down on the floor.

March fell unconscious as the gorilla's features blended and swirled into a blurry red cloud of light.

**Minutes later -** **Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

"Wake up, General!" Colonel Tyus said as he gave Grazot a shake.

The General wheezed slightly as his bruised chest begged for relief. He blinked his eyes and struggled once again to breathe. He took in as much air as he could in hopes it might clear his head. He was overly groggy, fatigued, and felt like he'd been sleeping for a week.

He didn't speak as he familiarized himself with the new surroundings. In front of him he saw; _Major_ Tyus, who from the looks of the uniform, had obviously been promoted. There was also a gorilla lieutenant and the Lord Prefect. Tyus and the lieutenant held rifles that were pointed in his direction. But it was odd. They weren't muskets and they weren't anything like the rifles the two men carried. The weapons were a black metallic and about 1/3rd smaller than the repeating rifles he was used to. They had, what appeared to be, a standard barrel but directly underneath was something odd. General Grazot thought it looked like the light-sticks the humans used to illuminate the night darkness.

March and Hayes were standing just to his left with Frehber who was making claims that he was not affiliated with the traitorous rabble they'd just captured. Grazot was surprised to see that March's hit to the thigh was field dressed. That seemed more than strange to him. _Why hadn't the Prefect simply killed us when he found us lying unconscious?_ The gorilla mused.

"Shut up Group Captain." Colonel Tyus said. "You're here to listen, not plead your case. This isn't a tribunal."

Tyus paused and turned to the Prefect. "Sir", he said, motioning for the ape leader to speak.

Sullen looked unemotional as he walked over to the group. He turned to March and grabbed the human by the throat. The Lord Prefect lifted the man high the air and grit his teeth.

"I'd like nothing more than to shoot and torture right here." The Prefect sneered. "You bastards have indirectly killed my family."

March grabbed at the orangutan's paw but the ape was too strong. He tried to speak but was only able to get out; a _gahk,_ followed by; _uhgk_.

"Let him go." Hayes said as he drove his shoulder into the giant red-orange simian. Sullen hardly budged but loosened his grip on March and let him intentionally fall to the cold, hard floor. Before the Prefect could react Gaius fired at the human. The invisible pulse shot out from the lower barrel of the weapon. Hayes convulsed, lost all motor control and immediately dropped to the floor as if he were having a seizure.

"Amazing!" Gaius said. "He actually spoke."

"That's not the amazing part." Frehber interjected "It's getting him to shut up that's the trick"

Gaius laughed loudly at the joke and looked down at the weapon. "Well, this sure did the trick!" he concluded.

"Enough of the jesting!" The Prefect shouted. "We have a very serious problem on our hands!"

"It will pass in about thirty seconds, human. It's called a _Cobalt Disruptor_ or at least that what my notes say it's called. It affects the nervous system. It's designed to incapacitate one's victim so that a _kill-shot_ can be achieved easier. Quite an efficient design. Especially from a species whose greatest gift seems to be annihilation." Sullen said as he rolled Hayes over with his boot.

"What's going on Lord Prefect?" Grazot asked. "What is it that you want? You need something or we'd be dead"

"From you General, possibly your head, but for now that can wait. I need them", The Prefect answered pointing at the two men.

"Go screw yourself." March said, still rubbing his throat and shoulder. The Prefect's choke hold had aggravated his cauterized wound slightly. The stinging pain was making the man dizzy and lightheaded.

The Prefect nodded at Gaius who fired the disruptor, this time at March.

"We can do this all night for all I care. Like it or not we have a mutual threat that's risen and I need your help." Sullen said as he leaned down over the convulsing human.

After about 45 seconds March regained physical control, though he now felt nauseous and dizzy. Grazot protested next and also had the pleasure of experiencing the effects of a disrupted nervous system.

"I don't have the patience for this." Sullen yelled. "You're going to help me or I'll kill this one, right now. Colonel, hand me that weapon."

Sullen pointed the weapon at Hayes and stated his case again. March agreed to help but knew he was just putting off the inevitable. The Prefect explained that the device he possessed had locked up just prior to their discovery. He didn't know why it happened or how it happened but he did recognize the symbol frozen on the display. He didn't comprehend the full meaning but he knew it wasn't good. He held up the device and displayed the screen for all of them to see. Three yellow arrows formed a triangle. The center was red with black outlined letters spelling; **NBC**. There were digital numbers counting backwards; 46:08, 46:07, 46:06 ….

Next, Sullen rubbed the device with his thumb. The faint sound coming from the machine got steadily louder until; _Incoming NBC attack, ETA, 45 minutes and 59 seconds_ could be clearly understood

"Do you know what it means?" Sullen asked the two men

"N, B, C …Nuclear, Biological, Chemical. That's what it means. We're as good as dead." Hayes answered immediately. "And whatever's coming is a million times more lethal than any musket or those weapons you have."

"Fix it." Sullen stated. "Fix it and I will let you walk out of here with your lives, weapons and with the traitor."

"However," The prefect continued. "I want your word General Grazot that I will never see your face again.

"Just like that Lord Prefect? We simply walk away. Do you take me for an idiot or something? The second these two, correct whatever it is that needs correcting, you'll kill us all." Grazot replied.

"No General" the Prefect answered solemnly "The damage is already done. The nation is in civil war. My family and yours are most likely dead. I'm taking what I can from this place and crushing that rebellion. We will then rebuild and arm ourselves appropriately. If there's a human threat we will be adequately prepared to meet it with equal might. You and these, these …_men_ are no longer going to be my problem."

March trumped in with some conditions of his own. He stated that they'd do what they could but not until they were armed. If the Prefect was serious he could hardly reject the request. March stated that when things _were equal_ they'd help. If not they could wait for that timer to hit zero and take their chances.

The Prefect ordered the two gorillas to lower their weapons. March picked up an M-103 and softly whispered "Ok Jonny you're on".

"Tom, this thing is years beyond anything I've seen …" Hayes mutter back

"Just do what you did on the island. …Oh and you have about a half an hour too." March answered

"Ok, _Mister President_, let me look at that thing." Hayes said as he reached for the device. The man couldn't shake the uneasiness that accompanied being so close to the massive animals.

Hayes fidgeted with the gadget for a few minutes. The Prefect offered suggestions but the old field manual was more helpful than anything else. After several minutes of reading pushing, reading more and fidgeting further, Hayes spoke up.

"You say your ancestor took this thing from a human?" Hayes asked not waiting for an answer "He was probably offered the same _fantastic_ _deal_ we were. Except he didn't quite believe you so he sabotaged the software. It's in some kind of loop. In essence, it's making the device _sick_."

"Can you _heal_ it?" Sullen asked.

"I don't know …maybe. According this," Hayes went on as he held up the field manual and turned to March "If I'm figuring this correctly there's some kind of electronic files. Like Amie's diary, that I can access but it's …um"

"It's asking for what Jon?" March interrupted.

"It's um, asking for a DNA sample." Hayes answered. The Air Force Captain placed his thumb on a red blinking dot in the top corner of the minicomputer. He felt it twinge and then the piece of equipment spoke.

_Human DNA 99 point 9999069 percent confirmed. File access granted_ the machine stated. A 3D Holo image of a man appeared. It startled everyone in the room including the two men. Hayes laid the computer on a metal box as the image spoke.

_My name is Major Kyle Jennings, US Army Corps of Engineers. I am the US, Canadian Liaison for the North American Alliance, Sector Golf Tango Seven. Major General Robert Scott and his staff have been captured and or killed. …As have I and several others. Our Ape captors are demanding weapons and intelligence information in exchange for our lives but it's evident by their brutal tactics that we will all be dead soon. If you are viewing this then I am probably already dead, as this plan was our last-ditch effort._

_We have succeeded in giving the apes what they believe they want. They have been given full access and training to what they think will ensure their safety. However the authentication codes and instructions are designed to link with the US Orbital Defense Net the moment they come within range of any satellite signal sensors. The false authentication will release a virus that will tap into the ODN (*Orbital Defense Net). Missiles from two orbital stations will fire and hone in on the device's wireless GPS relay signal. _

_The warheads contain a biological agent that is completely safe to humans and animals alike …and equally as lethal to simians. The missiles are programmed to airburst in a three hundred kilometer radius. Their effects will linger for months and work their way into the water system._

The image disappeared but everyone in the room got the messages as both parties raised their weapons at the other. The device sounded off with; _Incoming NBC attack, ETA, 12 minutes and 30 seconds_


	20. Chapter 20: Separated By Poison

**The Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

The two groups stood, tensely contemplating their options, until finally, the Prefect spoke. "Lower your weapons, all of you." He said. Sullen then turned to the two men and stated "I don't claim to comprehend all of what that man said but I do recognize what … _equally as lethal to simians,_ means. Can you stop whatever is going to happen from happening?"

"And just what exactly is going to _happen_?" Gaius trumped in. For the first time in his life the ape was grimly serious. Part of him was still in a state of disbelief but his instincts were signaling that something terrible was on the horizon. Like the Prefect, he only comprehended bits and pieces but he was able to pick up on enough of the dialogue to know that whatever was coming was lethal. He controlled the urge to point his _bizarre_ _musket_ at the man and shoot the answers out of him.

The facts were compiling faster than the ape's temperament could process the information. The news of the ape civil war had almost pushed him over the edge until he realized that eastern part of the nation was relatively stable. At least his wife and unborn child were safe …for the moment. The Prefect had assured him that they would be in and out of the metal cavern quickly and things were progressing in the opposite direction. And now the Prefect was debating with a talking animal and looking to it for salvation. Gaius brooded with contempt as he began to see Sullen in a new light.

Hayes spoke up and answered Gaius as best as he possibly could. "Missiles… from very high up are falling. Think of it as if someone was firing an arrow down from a mountaintop. But the arrow is as large as you or me and filled with powder a hundred times more powerful than anything you've ever detonated before. This _arrow _is going to explode and poison an area larger than several cities combined." The man tensed a bit as he wondered how the apes were going to take the news.

"…A giant arrow from the heavens; as large as me? Is that even realistic?" Tyus asked, almost laughing. The gorilla shook his head and went on "So like the Prefect said human, how can we stop this _ape-sized_ arrow from exploding?"

Hayes hesitated and mulled over the idea of lying. Why not let the missiles detonate, he considered. All he had to do was stall for ten minutes or so. It would certainly solve their problems. But if what the hologram stated was true, General Grazot would die as well. Was that necessarily _bad_ he wondered. Just what was the General going to now? For that matter what was he going to do regardless? Once they reached Washington and there was no organized human civilization, he'd realize he'd been duped. Not deliberately, but it wouldn't matter, anyhow. None of it mattered now. If what their President said earlier was true, his nation was about to get the upgrade Grazot lusted for.

Hayes did the math in his head. A three hundred kilometer area was about 186 miles. That would certainly cover any route back to the ape nation. It also meant that any simian attempting to return was as good as dead. Once that bio-agent hit the water it would seep into the plant life and poison their food. Ape society for about two to three hundred miles was finished. Hayes actually felt somewhat relieved about that: almost glad.

_Serves these bastards right_, he thought.

"If you stop this, I assure you we will all go our separate ways" Sullen lied.

"Jonny? Can we do anything?" March asked, drawing the Captain out of his daydream.

Hayes paused, looked out at the group and coldly spoke the truth; "No, the protocols were already executed. Even if we destroyed the computer device it wouldn't matter. The coordinates were relayed the second that virus was initiated. It's not even safe underground. That crack we crawled down will eventually suck that stuff right down here. Oh, it may buy a little time but …"

"What are the options, human?" Group Captain Frehber shot back in anger and frustration. "Are you trying to say we'll die if we go back to the surface? How do I know you didn't intentionally cause this? "

"I didn't cause anything and yes you will die if you go to the surface. And since you all keep asking, I don't know what the options are. When did I get voted Emperor?" Hayes said with a shrug. "Look, maybe if we could move deeper into the subsystem we could push past the effected area or try and find a bunker of some kind. This is a military facility and there are probably several escape routes. It's simply a matter of finding one. But it won't be easy. Those security stations are automated and their weapon systems are still hot. We might …"

"Put it down, NOW!" March interrupted as he saw the frustrated Gaius begin to raise his weapon towards Hayes. "Trust me buddy, if I fire this thing it won't leave you flopping on the ground. It will leave _pieces of you_ flopping on the ground. We aren't responsible for this and we all need to keep cool heads"

"Easy for you to say, you furless talking _abnormality_. We're the ones who are stranded" Gaius shouted.

"The human is right." Grazot added. "Our wonderful trustworthy, Lord Prefect has brought this upon us, not these animals. The all-knowing minister of the truth and preacher of legitimacy; legitimacy defined and then redefined by him, the late Magistrate, our _esteemed_ Council. And whatever lies of the day they decide to spin. He's just exiled all of you to Banned Territories."

Grazot went on, "Look at these amazing weapons and his _magic talking box_. Oh it's perfectly fine for the _elite Sullen_ to stockpile this ancient knowledge and flaunt it about whenever _he deems_ necessary. Knowledge is power, gentleapes. And he uses that knowledge and power to control us."

The gorilla clenched a fist and then pointed at the Prefect who was trying to speak. "NO MORE LIES!" He said shouting him down. "Our land is about to be poisoned, our once great nation has fallen into anarchy … why? Not because of these men, but because of one ape. …The _wise_ Lord Prefect Sullen." His last line rang loudly with sarcasm. "We should have welcomed these men and learned from them; not treated their arrival as some kind of plague. Our fool of leader is obsessed with them; Even if it means the deaths of our families. None of us will ever be able to return home…EVER!" That last sentence repeated itself in Gaius's head. The ape was in total agreement with the General.

The Prefect had been slowly coming to a boil. He wasn't used to being so openly confronted. But part of him was also in agreement with Grazot. The General was right. His actions had cascaded into where he was now. The guilt and remorse deep inside had been pricked. His anger trumped his reason; "You sir are the traitor here. Those pets you've come to love are more of a poison than any missile from the clouds. Every one of these ancient devices are a tool of war. Their sole purpose is to kill and mutilate. That is all we will ever learn from them. If unchecked they will do more damage than a hundred civil wars. "Kill them, NOW!" he shouted.

Everyone in the room raised their weapons as the sound of thunder followed by a massive quake simultaneously struck out. The room shook and went pitch black. Pieces of the roof and walls fell as did some of the old rusted racks and shelves. Cries and moans of pain went out as wreckage indiscriminately collided with the group. When the quake finally stopped, red lights, attached to what was left of the walls and ceiling, illuminated dimly.

**The ruins of Buffalo, New York**

The night sky slowly got brighter and brighter as the missile veered off from the others and headed for its target. The guidance system automatically adjusted the course and speed. The MEF software (*_Maximum Effective Range_) exchanged GPS Intel as its internal computer processor calculated the exact height and distance for maximum chemical disbursement. The booster pack exhausted its fuel and broke free as the secondary thrusters fired. Small wings slid out on the sides and tail as the missile cruised above, like an aircraft.

Below, the three soldiers sat around a fire eating stale field rations. "Just how long are we supposed to sit here and wait?" Captain Haslet asked as he bit into a piece of dried meat.

"Until they get back, I guess" One of the other gorillas answered.

"What in the name of Orion is that?" The third gorilla said pointing to the sky.

"Uh …" was all Captain Haslet could get out. Several moving balls of fire spread across the skyline. One, however, seemed to be coming very close to their location. It veered off slightly towards the center of the ruins. "…Where are those field goggles? What is that thing?" he finally managed to ask

The answer came in a burst louder than any thunder they'd ever heard. It ripped through the air followed by several loud _pops_. The sky and surrounding area light up for a split second like daylight. Several of the large wobbling city structures crumbled off in the distance, throwing dust high into the air. Afterwards, the gorillas felt a sticky thick mist. It was almost like a tropical rain.

Off in the distance one of the winged armaments misfired. The internal guidance system attempted to adjust but the mechanical malfunction sent the object into a tailspin. The nose dropped and the projectile slammed into the ground at incredible speed. The object exploded into a small fiery mushroom cloud as the fuel ignited. The shockwave caused the surrounding structures to crumble, as the ground shook violently.

"Grab your weapons, now-w- …ow..." The gorilla started to say as his throat, eyes and skin began to burn. The ape dropped to his knees and gagged. His lungs filled with fluid. His vision blurred and went black. He tried to inhale but couldn't. Finally his liver, lungs and heart completely shut down. His muscles and joints burned as he lost physical control. Haslet fell limp to the ground and died seconds later.

Screams and shrieks wailed out for about thirty second and then died off as quickly as they came. The bio agent saturated the city and the surrounding area as the last of the missile barrage exhausted their deadly toxin. The central software routines and sensors sent messages to the internal CPU that the primary objective was complete. The cruise missiles executed their RTO, (*_Return To Origin_), protocols and headed high into the sky until they disappeared from sight.

**The Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

"Uuuhhh" March said as he blinked his eyes and coughed out dust and dirt. He pushed an old rusted weapons rack aside with his foot. His wounded thigh throbbed as the man extended his leg. He looked around the room and saw General Grazot lying in a pool of blood soaked dirt. He was most likely dead from the looks of his fractured skull. As his eyes adjusted to the muted light, March realized it wasn't Grazot but one of the other apes.

March scanned and groped for his weapon as his vision adjusted further. He wasn't about to be taken prisoner again. If he was to die here, he was going to kill as many of those simian freaks as he could.

The Prefect coughed and yelled out to Colonel Tyus but the dead ape didn't reply. He moaned in pain like a wounded animal as he pushed rubble off his body and stood erect. The ape leader held his broken arm with his opposite paw. His fingers were numb but his forearm and elbow were throbbing in pain. He too realized he was weaponless as he saw March shuffling about for his rifle.

Around the room the others coughed and moaned, in similar fashion, as they dusted off and attempted to regain their composure. Other than the Prefect and Tyus no one else had been seriously injured or killed. The room was littered with debris and rubble. The far wall had collapsed and the corridor beyond was mostly dark, but accessible. There was a large fracture in the floor. It housed various oddities that once filled the room as well as the late Colonel Tyus.

"Is everyone alright?" The Lord Prefect asked.

"Shut up." March ordered as if he were talking to a child. The man was on his feet with his rifle pointed at the group. Hayes was slowly getting up but General Grazot had a weapon drawn as well.

Grazot looked down at the dead ape who, at one time, had been a friend. Tyus was always a competent leader and Grazot had personally recommended him for the Intel position he'd held before the General had deserted. He shook his head as he grieved the senseless loss. _First Zig and now you my friend, _the Gorilla thought.

"You and you…" March said as he pointed his rifle at Frehber and Gaius. "…Get your flea-bitten hides over there next to him." The man was dizzy and fatigued but was hiding it as best as he could.

"MOVE IT." He continued with a shout looking at Gaius. "So help me, I'll blow your ugly head off if you force me to. …And you; Slide that over here nice and easy" the man continued as he ordered the Prefect to surrender the computer. The Prefect protested but quickly complied when March put a bullet into an old crate. The sound was deafening, causing them all to jump, but the result was effective.

March instructed Hayes and Grazot to gather their supplies and weapons. They took several of the futuristic rifles and destroyed the rest. As soon as they were ready to move out March turned and addressed the group.

"_Prefect_, is it?" March asked Sullen. _"_My name is Major Thomas March and that man there is Captain Jonathan Hayes. We're Airmen from a place called; The United States of America. We landed in your territory purely by chance. We just want to get home. So we're leaving and you're on your own. If I see any of you again, I'll kill you where you stand. And that's a promise from a species, as you so colorfully noted, _has a gift for annihilation_"

"You can't leave us down here defenseless and without food or water." Gaius blurted out. However, just as he finished, Grazot fired the disruptor at him. Gaius dropped as Grazot fired again at the other apes.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Grazot said

"You enjoy this too much" Hayes alleged as he grabbed the equipment and they moved towards the newly formed opening.

"Consider it an act of mercy. I'm a soldier not a butcher. I no more want to see my countryapes shot, in cold blood, than you would. …No matter how much I disagree with them" Grazot snapped back tossing out a goat skin of water.

"I won't be as generous a second time!" The gorilla said as the apes on the ground started to twitch and move.

As they all regained bodily control the apes cursed and threatened Grazot and the two humans. The two men and the gorilla ignored the idol intimidations as they worked their way into the dark corridor. Grazot pushed a couple of large concrete-like slabs over the _exit_. It wouldn't stop them from being followed but it would slow them down enough.

It was slow going as the party nursed their various aches, wounds, and injuries. None of them had slept much in the past few days and they were all very hungry. Their walk was leading them deeper into the underbelly of Buffalo. March couldn't help being fascinated with the facility. It went on for what seemed like miles and whatever was powering it was still going strong. _This must have taken years to construct and cost tens of millions_ March concluded as he viewed the structure through 1985 lenses. The construction had actually cost trillions.

"Alright, this is far enough. We're like rats, down here, searching for the cheese. We've probably gone a good mile and a half and we've yet to see signs of anything helpful. I don't think we're being followed. Besides, I need to rest a bit" March said.

Hayes was fiddling with the computer device and flipping through the manual, they'd taken from the Prefect. Grazot sat on the ground and pulled out a skin of water. He grunted and gulped down the soothing, but warm, water.

"It's over. That fool of a leader has destroyed my nation with his obsessions. I originally wanted full access to your power. I thought I could usher in am era of progress and power. I desired it just as much as the Prefect preferred the opposite. But now …" The gorilla paused and took another drink. "…But now I'll probably die down here. Even if I don't, even if I amass this power of the gods, I won't even be able to return. And if I do return, just what will I be returning to?"

"I might have some encouraging news, General" Hayes said as Grazot turned his head and raised his brow.

"Tom, at first I thought this was some kind of field-pad, but it's more than that. It's called an EOC, Electronic Operations Center. This has a full authentication listing; detailed maps, a GPS interface, and can send and receive verbal or written correspondence. It's issued to top Brass in the field. It's been Gerry-rigged …"

"Listen" Grazot blurted out "Either speak a language I understand or shoot me with that invisible seizure wand until you're done babbling. I don't know which one is the worse torture."

March laughed, but more so because he was exhausted. Even he understood what words like _Gerry-rigged_ meant and was quite often lost when Hayes went into his _Einstein_ mode.

"Ok look," Hayes said ignoring the pun "…all I was saying was that I could use this thing to estimate the range of damage and possibly map a route back to your country."

"A route home? And just how long of a route are we talking?" Grazot asked.

"I don't know" Hayes Answered "but it shouldn't be difficult to figure out. This thing was modified. Its protocols and securities have been dumbed-down, all based on interaction with human DNA. Whoever modified this was brilliant. There is a completely separate set of files, authentication and options for any non-human who tries to access the software. Your ancestors were set up, General. It drew them in intentionally and set them up for the kill."

Hayes turned to March and said "We're set, Tom. I even have a schematic of this facility. It's called; The North Eastern American Division of Military Genetic Operations. There's an escape rail that has access to a hundred kilometer stretch of tunnel that will put us just across the Pennsylvania boarder."

**The Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

Lieutenant Gaius added up the time in his head. _I'll be a father in less than eighteen days_, he concluded. The young gorilla causally walked over to the body of Colonel Tyus and rolled him on his side. He picked up the rifle as Frehber and the Prefect were speaking. His face had a cynical look as he heard the two fools babble on. Gaius leisurely examined the rifle for damage.

His mind processed scenario after scenario in search of an idea that would get him home. He was through with the Prefect's Holy Crusade. _The human, maybe the human knew the way_, he mused, concluding that he was on the wrong side of things. The gorilla flipped the switch on the side of the weapon just as he'd been instructed to when they first entered the room. Next he chambered a round. The distinct _click-clack_ caught the attention of the two other apes.

"Well at least we have one working rifle." Sullen said.

Gaius said nothing in return. He wiped the tiny spot of the Colonel's blood on his uniform with his paw.

"Sir, I can track them; in fact, it will be easy, given the conditions" Frehber stated.

"All in good time, Captain." Sullen replied "I need you to look through those weapons the General crushed and see if any are still functional. Lieutenant Gaius, there are some sealed metallic crates; they should be there where the rubble fell. See if you can locate them, please."

Gaius stood grimly and raised his weapon. He breathed in some of the dusty air and coughed. He spit the dust out of his mouth and kicked at the dirt on the floor.

"What are you doing Lieutenant? Point that thing down before you kill someone." Frehber ordered.

Gaius pulled the trigger. The weapon pulsed and fired both barrels. The cobalt disruptors hit a fraction of a second before the WP-Rounds impacted. Frehber's chest burned as the white phosphorus projectiles literally ignited his internal organs. The poor ape couldn't even scream, cry out or move. His body, clothes, and fur burst into flame and smoked. The smell was awful and made Gaius feel nauseated. Frehber died an excruciatingly painful death without uttering a single sound.

Gaius turned the weapon to the ape leader and said "Good bye, Prefect".


	21. Chapter 21: Out of the Frying Pan

**The Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

White hot flames battered the wall as Gaius stumbled backwards and involuntarily fired the weapon. The WP round hit one of the secondary illumination rods as it burst out sparks of colorful light. The ape stumbled further falling over a rusted shelve and several old crates. He cursed himself for not killing the Prefect when he'd had the chance. He reached out, grabbed a random piece of junk and threw it indiscriminately forward. The object flew past the Prefect and crashed into the far wall.

Sullen leapt towards the corridor with as much energy as he could muster. The ape was approaching fifty but still possessed enough dexterity to land softly while protecting his broken limb. …well, almost, that is. The slight pressure instantly turned to immense pain as the injured appendage made contact with the floor. Sullen stumbled and instinctively pulled the swollen arm close to his chest. He shook his head trying to clear the dizziness and lunged towards the corridor.

Gaius wiped the dust and pebbles from his eyes that the Prefect had recently tossed in his face. The ape blindly fired the weapon and cussed in the process. When his vision finally returned the Prefect was almost out of sight …once again, the key was; _almost _

"Run you old fool" Gaius shouted as he pulled the trigger and fired the disruptor. The unseen energy blast clipped the orangutan in the hip. The weight and momentum of the ape toppled him forward into the dark hall beyond. The Prefect's body cramped from the mild hit he'd taken. He tucked his head, pulled in his arm and rolled as he hit the ground. His right leg was completely numb.

Gaius worked his way over to the Prefect and said. "I'll never see my unborn child and for what…" The ape's bitter anger wouldn't let him finish his thought. "Let's see what this setting does, Lord Prefect" The gorilla stated as he flipped the small switch on the side of the gun forward one notch. Gaius fired it at almost point blank range but Sullen had mustered enough strength to sloppily kick with his other leg. At the last second Gaius flinched.

The round hit, followed by a deafening _ka-boom_. The force threw the gorilla back and sending him into the wreckage left from the quake. His ears were ringing but that wasn't the worst of it. Rubble came crashing from all around. A massive chunk of steel fell, connecting with his shoulders and back. Gaius hit the deck with a thud. Rubble and dirt dropped and dropped, as he struggled for leverage.

**Old New York State / Pennsylvania boarder**

The tube jerked forward and abruptly stopped as it thrust itself into the safety apparatus. Magnetic traction guided the large cylinder along a conveyor to its final destination. The inside of the tube illuminated softly as the plastic nose and mouth piece released a cool mist. Captain Hayes awoke as the oxygen worked its way through his lungs and into his brain. His spine cracked as he arched it and stretched ever so slightly. He heard a hydraulic _hiss_ss as the huge container opened. The bright light of the room blinded the man for a moment. He squinted, trying to adjust to the radiance. He could see the silhouette of someone approaching.

"Welcome to …wherever _here_ is." March said as he extended a hand to help the man out.

He led Hayes to a room that was dimly lit. In fact, the only light seemed to be coming from a fire in the corner. It was hot and slightly muggy with a stale, stuffy smell. There was nothing in the small space except useless waste. It was slowly falling apart under the onslaught it had suffered long ago. Skeletal remains littered the area. Rusted sentry guns hung limply from their exposed hiding places in the ceilings and walls. The burnt, melted remains of a computer consol took up space in the middle of the room. It was riddled with the blasts of gunfire and barely recognizable. March had cleared a spot and set up a simple campsite.

"How ya feelin', Jonny?" March asked.

"Tired, but a little better thanks to the tiny siesta I just had" Hayes answered with a yawn. "Hey do I smell food?"

"Well, take it easy. We're going to rest and regroup. And that's a 'yes', if you consider _rat_ to be food." March answered. "We haven't eaten or slept in days and that's not to mention the obvious… We stink too. There's water coming from some kind of spring or waterway just down there." March said pointing. "I got here about twenty minutes ago. This place is beyond functional. It's all been severely damaged. There are rats everywhere and we have to eat so …"

Several minutes later the final cylinder, holding General Grazot, arrived. It initiated a process similar to what Hayes had just gone through. March laughed as he noticed Grazot sound asleep inside when the lid opened.

"Let him nap", March mumbled.

They rested, ate and slowly recuperated for most of that day and the following. There was a medium sized passageway and stairs leading up to, what they presumably thought could only be the surface. It was littered with rubble and garbage. There was a sealed door that looked like it had been welded shut. The first thing that caught their eyes was a floor littered with bodies, most were dust piles that roughly resembled humans. They collapsed whenever one of the group stepped near them. The bones inside crumbled under the heavy weight of what appeared to be some type of odd body Kevlar. The weapons they carried were nothing more than useless junk from being dormant for so long. Hayes pulled a dagger out of the chest of one cadaver. The rusted steel snapped at the base. _US Marine Corps_ was engraved in its side.

Others wore stranger suits around their bodies. They looked to be simian but were covered from head to toe. The apes were mummified inside the shriveled suits. They appeared to be some sort of bio-hazard outfits. They consisted of a dull faded yellow coloring and had an atomic symbol on the right chest. Now, they were little more than a cocoon. Burnt ash clung onto many of them. They easily broke as Grazot pushed down on their crusty carcasses. A hiss followed as gas entered to fill the suits vacuum. The features dissolved into dust, as the rush air wore away the fragile tissue. It released a foul smell that made the three, step back and, fan at the air.

"Cripes! If it didn't already smell bad enough in here! What is all of this?" the confused gorilla asked as he covered his nose with his sleeve.

"That's a good question Tom." Hayes added. "Look at the imprint on those chemical suits. That's our flag on the shoulder. American …apes?"

"This place could be infected …like those arrows you spoke of earlier", Grazot said in a slightly alarmed voice. His paw moved to the trigger of his rifle. There was nothing to fire at but the reflex action seemed to calm the gorilla a little.

"Loosen up General, whatever was here has long since crawled away and died in some dark corner of this forgotten place." March assured him.

"Look at this." Hayes said as he rapped his knuckles against the odd looking body armor. "It's like Kevlar … um only not. It's a lot lighter and seems more flexible too." Hayes swung an arm through the old dusty vest and latched it up. "How do I look?" he jokingly asked

"About as ugly as my wife." Grazot snidely remarked, "No… uglier now that I get a good look at you. And that's an accomplishment, trust me" He added with a laugh.

They worked for the next hour clearing rubble, garbage, and whatever else was blocking the stairwell and door. The door itself was welded from the reverse side. Whatever had been opposite of the door wanted to keep whatever was on this side out. Grazot tried to muscle his way through but to no avail. Its blemished, rusted face showed a will to resist even through the extremes it had suffered long ago.

"We're going to need a grenade to get through that thing." March concluded as he moved his hand across the surface of the massive door. "The access panel is burned beyond repair and it's welded tight all around. But the surrounding wall is weathered. If we chip away some of the stone and initiate a blast …right about _here_ …we might be able to loosen it enough to knock it down"

"I don't think we need a grenade, Sir" Hayes said. These rifles we took have a rotating, interlocking magazine. A specific round is chambered by this switch on the side. …Very similar to ours, actually. Look here." Hayes tilted the rifle, held it up and rattled off, "See; WP, HE, STD, FLR, SMK, and SFTY".

"WP … Willy Pete?" March mumbled rhetorically. "Do you think HE is High Explosive?"

"Yes Sir and I think that STD is a standard round; whatever that might be. FLR might mean some kind of signal flair, while SMK is smoke, and SFTY puts the rifle in safety. Those are standard military acronyms, after all. I suggest that we fire a WP round _there_…" the man said pointing at the same worn out spot near the door. "…And then we follow it up with HE rounds _here_ and …um … _there_. That should weaken it at the foundation. Deteriorating it at that angle should cause a significant shift. Its own weight should force it to move."

March has always been a little envious of the intelligence Hayes seemed to possess. The man could calculate out pi in his sleep, March always joked. _He should be back home making the big money with that computer of a head he has_, the man thought. It didn't make sense but he was glad to have him here now.

They constructed a crude barricade. The two men pulled their rifles in tight, sighted their targets, and fired on the Captain's signal. All three covered their ears as the blast echoed loudly down the corridor. The high-pressure atmosphere in the rest of the facility rushed into the vacuum of the newly opened region. It would have been quite soothing as the stale, muggy air vented its way though the area; but it kicked up pebbles and dirt as it _whooshed_ past. March's ears popped as the pressure equalized. When it finally settled they could see that the door had buckled and wobbled inward. Part of it was actually still attached but there was now a space large enough for them to easily slip through. They waited as the last of the WP burned itself out before they entered the dark space just ahead.

"Ok, it's probably overkill but get your weapons ready." March said. "Move out nice and slow, keep together, and watch your backs. If you see any kind of automated defenses fall back. Jonny, keep your rifle set at HE …just in case."

Hayes nodded and gave a final check of his weapon. They walked into the area in a protective formation; each one overlapped another's field of fire so that it made a full 360 degrees around them. The area was massive, a gargantuan cavern reaching far up into the darkness which their lights barely illuminated. There was some sort of automated machine at the base of the door that had been used when the structure was originally welded tight. It had been slightly preserved in the vacuum but the fluids it once housed had hardened while others had simply dried out. Rows upon rows of large pyramid shapes, with their tips snipped off so they were flat-topped were along the walls. Grazot grabbed at a crate flung it open.

"Easy General! That could be anything!" March said. "…Curiosity killed the gorilla, ya know!"

"Huh?" Grazot replied as March ignored him and fanned his light 360 degrees.

"So? What is it" March asked.

"It's food, Tom. Or it was, anyway" Hayes answered for the gorilla. "I wouldn't eat it though. The plastic and metal containers are still sealed but this stuff is older than Moses. If I know the military this junk probably did come from Moses." Hayes poured a package on the ground and stepped on the almost petrified rations. "We're in a supply depot probably." He added.

A few minutes later Hayes came across a crate labeled; _Nuclear Cell._ "Look Tom," Hayes stated shining a flash light on the crate. "They look like that battery gadget that powers the diary." Hayes removed a small container of the items and put them in his rucksack. He then went back to poking around the boxes.

They looked through several of the other crates, as well. Mostly out of curiosity but partially out of necessity. There was simply too much that could be missed. Most contained old machine and computer parts, weathered musty uniforms, technical manuals and the decomposed rations.

"Hey, look at this …" March said as he held up some of the body Kevlar. "…and it isn't in bad shape. We ought to take some of it."

"Oh and I suppose I'm to carry that as well" Grazot chimed in. "I'm not without limits. It's bad enough I have to haul these supplies around without you adding extra weight every time I turn around."

"Fine" March replied. "I see your point. We'll wear it. But trust me; this will stop a musket ball as easily as that leather uniform would stop a crumbled piece of paper."

They rummaged through the crates until they found a suitable fit. After a few minutes March reached in the field gear and pulled a set of NVG. He scanned the area briefly until he located an exit on the far side of the room.

"Come on" he said as they all advanced his way.

They moved out casually but remained alert for any threats. None appeared. The row of containers led them to a cracked door. It was weathered and had been shattered in some type of skirmish. Beyond was a circular expanse. It looked similar to the check point they'd hit when they'd first entered the complex. This one had been to hell and back. The walls were littered with holes and area that housed the sentry guns were nothing more than molten rock and steel. In fact, ninety percent of the place was charred. On the far side of the room was a bombed out elevator. It wasn't easy but the group was able to shimmy up the remains and work their way back to the surface.

The hot sun was beating down and seemed very bright as Hayes slung the equipment pack over his head and on to the ground. He pulled himself up and out of the hole that had once been the entrance to a bunker. He'd been underground for some time and his eyes took a second to adjust to the surface glare. He rummaged though his pack, pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on.

"What are we …a mile from the sun?" Hayes mumbled as the dry heat beat down on his face. The man brought a hand to his brow as he shielded his eyes and looked around. It was some kind of desert. Dirt, sand, and rocks were all that he could see no matter what direction he looked. It went on for miles. _This_ was the Eastern United States? It reminded him of the old Bugs Bunny cartoon where the rabbit popped out in a desert, thinking it was Miami, Beach. He scanned the region quickly and concluded it was safe. He called down to the others and the two of them joined the man on the surface.

"This is Pennsylvania? Looks more like the Sierra" March noted as he sifted the hot sand and gravel through his fingers.

They regrouped and walked forward. There was no vegetation; not even a small weed or a patch of wild grass. Grazot made note that they were, ok for now, but still limited on water. The device they'd taken from the Prefect, as well as the field pad, confirmed their location as it linked with the GPS satellites still orbiting the bleak planet. It might not look like it but this was definitely Northern Pennsylvania.

They camped that night and traveled another full day, heading southeast on a path towards Maryland. The terrain and surrounding area looked the same; Sand, dirt, rocks with more sand, dirt and rocks. On the third day they saw something odd. It was remnants of road; a long forgotten highway of some kind. The weathered rusted sign was inscribed with; _I-80_. The shell of rusted vehicle was charred and mangled off in the distance; a relic of the nuclear bombardment that had struck the area centuries earlier. This once pristine forest region was now a desert wasteland.

The three mirrored the freeway for about two miles when Grazot noticed something else that was odd. Smoke was rising off in the distance. The gorilla claimed that he could smell something cooking. Whatever it was, March and Hayes, smelled nothing.

"We have to check that out. We're just about out of food and water. If whatever's there won't share, we'll have to take it." March stated.

**** Fifteen Minutes Later …****

March peered through the binoculars from the large boulder he'd just mounted. He adjusted the site as he looked around. The man was a good ways away and it was hard to see but there was someone who looked to be human moving about. It was some sort of small bivouac, possibly military.

As the man looked around he noticed tracks of some kind. March's mind screamed out from deep inside; _we're being flanked_. He dropped down to warn the others who were mysteriously gone.

"Guys…?" He said quietly as he quickly swung the rifle off his shoulder. He clung closely to the boulder and peered out ever so slightly. As if out of nowhere, a chimpanzee and gorilla appeared. Their weapons were drawn and they were dressed in some sort of military outfits.

_They have automatic weapons_, March thought as he eyed the odd looking military hardware.

"Don't even breathe or so help me…" The Chimp said with all the seriousness of a trained combatant. "Corporal, take his firearm and gear and tie him up. We'll take him back to Major Polk"

The gorilla Corporal ordered March to drop his rifle and gear. He tied the man snugly and hoisted him over his shoulder.

Fifty feet away Hayes stepped forward as Grazot gently pulled him back and stated. "We could take them now but then we'd risk bringing more here. It's obvious that he's in no danger. If we follow them to their camp we can get a good idea on exactly what we're dealing with."

"Ok General, I don't like the idea of using Tom as bait but he's already been captured and they're on the move so let's do this." Hayes replied.

They stowed away their gear and took only what was necessary.

"Follow my lead. If we get too close they may pick up our scent. We can work our way to those rocks there. The terrain is elevated and should provide enough cover. We'll be able get a good look at the route they're traveling." Grazot said.

**The Armory - Western Conduit, Section G**

Gaius coughed and snorted. He braced his paws on whatever he could and pushed with all his strength. Beams, rocks and wreckage were pressing down on his body. He grunted in frustration as he tried to work his way free. Despite the apes youth and strength he could not move. He was pinned under tons of earth and steel. The ape was slightly turned and could not seem to get the necessary leverage he needed to work his way free.

_The rifle! Where's the rife?_ His mind called out. The weapon had been thrown clear just after Gaius fired it. The Lieutenant groped at the ground coughing as the movement cause too much pain.

"Looking for this?" the bloody Prefect said pointing the rife at the pinned gorilla. Gaius clenched his neck and struggled to look up.

"You might as well kill me now beca…" were the last words Gaius spoke as Sullen coldly pulled the trigger and sent the ape into the afterlife. The bullet hit the primate in the face, decapitating half of his head.

"Spare me the speech, murder." Sullen said as he sat on a hunk of stone contemplating his options. The armory was completely cut off. The round that Gaius fired had impacted too close to the unstable wall and ceiling. The force of the blast had brought down half the structure.

The ape wailed out as he did his best to set his broken forearm. He constructed a crude splint and sling with the various junk in the room. It wasn't easy but where there was will there was a way. Once that was complete he slowly moved the debris aside so he could move forward.

Sullen thanked the great ape that his grandfather had been wise enough to make all of them memorize the authorization codes. He'd probably need it somewhere down the line. He was alone and without food or water. He couldn't go back. So the only thing to do was move on.


	22. Chapter 22: Into the Fire

**Old Pennsylvania – Later that day**

_Raat-taaat-taaat-taaat_ – The automatic weapons fire ripped across the rock-strewn wall just above Hayes. Chipped sandstone and dust littered the area, falling on the man as he lay prone on the hot ground. He was being intentionally pinned down so the others could get to Grazot unobstructed.

Hayes peered, ever-so-slightly, around the rocks that were keeping him concealed. "There you are" he mumbled as he took note of the muzzle flashes off in the distance. _Alright Captain, get it together,_ Hayes thought, assessing the situation. The enemy had taken advantage of the high ground. They were also well out of range of a grenade volley. There were at least two of them out there, he'd assumed. They were alternating their fire just enough to keep him from moving.

He squinted as he tried to locate any exposed body parts. _If I can just take out that guy on the right, I can make it to that hillside and possibly work my way behind them, _Hayes surmised quickly. _Raat-taaat-taaat-taaat_ sounded off once again. This time it sprayed across the ground forcing the man back behind the rocks. Hayes cursed in frustration as dust sprayed his face and went into his eyes.

They'd walked blindly into the trap. It was obvious that their opponents wanted them alive or they'd be lying dead in the dirt. The aggressors had used their firepower to intentionally separate the two in hopes to make their capture easier. Whoever they were, they were well armed and obviously well trained. They'd realized that March wasn't alone and had baited Hayes and Grazot. The forward element led the two into the ambush spot where the other shooters were waiting.

Suddenly something clicked in the man's mind. He realized he didn't need a grenade glancing down at the futuristic M-16. He flipped the switch to _HE_ and then kissed the advanced piece of equipment as he grinned. He hugged the ground as closely as possible and listened to the _Raat-taaat-taaat-taaat_, this time more directly. He shut his eyes as he tried to determine a specific pattern.

After about thirty seconds the pattern became clear. Hayes rolled out and fired a shot in the direction of the rightmost attacker. He quickly ducked back for cover as he anticipated the next volley of fire. Seconds later, a low _pop_ followed the shot as Hayes sent a smoke round in the direction of the second shooter.

The HE projectile sailed through the air and pounded its way into the side of the sandy hill. Dust and dry earth flew in every direction as the bullet detonated. The smoke round hit a group of rocks at the base. It flashed, followed by a thick white cloud of smoke. The distraction was enough to allow Hayes to beat-feet to the area he'd eyed earlier. At least he was now out of sight of the second riflemen. However, all that planning and effort had proven fruitless. Hayes had run directly into the path of the third soldier who'd been sent to flank his position. The startled warrior fired hitting Hayes in the chest. The round smashed into the body armor. The force of the shot threw Hayes backwards and then to the ground. The man landed flat on his back as he impacted with a thud. The chimp didn't wait for Hayes to regroup. He drove the butt of the rifle towards his head. The man passed out cold.

Several yards away,General Grazot sat with his back against the large stump and the surrounding foliage. It was the first signs of plant life he'd seen in days. It was about 90% dead but it had to mean that a water source was somewhere close. The occasional discharge of rifle fire whipped past startling the Gorilla slightly. The ape looked up to see dirt and dust off in the distance. A minute later two chimps dressed in odd looking fatigues appeared on opposite sides.

"You there, don't move." One of them ordered.

The ape was still not very comfortable in battles where automatic fire was used, but these conditions were different. Grazot was a trained warrior and no stranger to close combat. With all the simian agility and grace he possessed, the gorilla flipped backwards onto the stump at his rear. Next, he bound into the air and landed behind one of the odd looking soldiers. It happened so quickly that the two apes almost shot each other in the confusion.

The General grabbed the chimp with one paw and flung him at the second. Without hesitation the other rolled aside before his colleague could connect with his body. The soldier shot up and pointed his rifle at the Grazot's head.

"You were all warned that consorting with humans meant death. I knew none of you could really be trusted. Voss was a fool to think rabble like you could be dependable. What'd you do, desert?" The chimp stated.

"Consorting with humans…Voss? Huh?" The General babbled in genuine confusion.

"Oh you have amnesia, eh? Save it. You're coming with us. Major Polk can decide your fate."

Grazot nodded as he wiped the dust and dirt from his chest. "Fine, I'm coming with you… and just who are you and where are we going?" Grazot asked

The ape Lieutenant ignored Grazot. He then tiled his head and yelled out, "Private Geer! Are you ok?"

"Just my pride, Sir, but that will heal. I didn't expect one so big to be that fast." Private Geer replied.

"Shackle him. We're almost due to link up with the others." The Lieutenant ordered.

The apes chained Grazot, stripped him of his gear, and threw him into a barred, horse drawn wagon. Inside were March and Hayes. Both were tied from head to toe. There were at least eight apes in the group. The majority were chimpanzees with a few were gorillas and orangutans. They were all militant in their speech, tasks, and motions, but had an odd way of saluting. They raised a paw to their brow and then sharply snap it downward.

They rode for at least an hour and stopped to give the men and ape a very small amount of food and water. Not out of kindness, more out of necessity. Major Polk wouldn't be happy if his prisoners died of heat exhaustion before they were questioned. It seemed like forever but they finally approached the ape campsite.

March made some mental notes as he struggled to evaluate the situation. It was a very basic arrangement. It looked intentionally set up that way so it could be torn down quickly, if necessary. Their defenses and security seemed a bit sloppy. They had gaps in their sectors of fire.

They were, in all probability, a scouting unit of some type, the Major concluded. There was something else that jumped out at the man. These apes hadn't gasped when he'd spoken. They weren't dumbfounded that he was armed or wore clothes. In fact, that was exactly what they'd expected. It was obvious that he wasn't the first _talking_ _man_ they'd ever encountered.

To their dismay, no one interrogated them. They were untied and left inside the cage all night with two armed guards outside. A bucket was tossed in and it was quite obvious what that was for. Early the next morning they were fed again and allowed to empty their bucket. Following that, the apes tore down the camp and headed off.

The farther they traveled, the more the desert faded revealing small signs of vegetation. The following day they reached a vast settlement enclosed by a massive wall. Part of it was built into the side of a very large landmass. It looked like it housed several thousand apes. It was basically a military post but there was commerce going on as well and a several ape children running about. It twisted and turned upwards reaching high into the heavens.

The city looked somewhat industrialized, if you could call it that. It was certainly much more 'modern' than the society they'd left back in old Canada. It was equivalent to an old-west American city of the late 1890s; and lightly sprinkled with a touch of the twentieth century. Even their clothing looked oddly contemporary.

There were no signs of automobiles or things like that but there was a well guarded factory and it did look industrialized. Smoke and pollution were pumping out of the stacks and disappearing into the mountain sky. Horses and buggies busily went up and down the brick paved roads. Soldiers carrying rifles were scattered around as they casually patrolled the streets.

"Alright we're here." One of the apes said to the other as they stopped at the foot of a stone building. The chimp riding passenger jumped down and disappeared into the structure. The first ape dismounted and pulled out a crude cigar. He struck a small flint and lit the tobacco as he puffed away. Moments later the ape that'd entered the structure emerged with two armed soldiers. They positioned themselves on opposite sides of the wagon. Their weapons were raised and pointed.

"Alright, everyone out; nice and easy!" the chimp stated as he unlocked the gate and swung it open.

Grazot jumped out first followed by the others.

"Come on. Move your butts…" One yelled as he shoved a paw into the back of Hayes pushing him so hard that the man fell over.

"Go get their gear and supplies and bring it to the Interrogation Center" one of the chimps shouted at a gorilla. "Yes Sir," the ape answered as he darted off.

***** Thirty minutes later - interrogation Room A-7 *****

Grazot sat and said as little as possible as Major Polk shot out threats and accusations about as fast at the repeaters the two men carried. For some reason they seemed to think he was someone who was from the region. The ape was doing his best to let the Major do as much of the talking as possible. Why would they think he was from around here? It was obvious he didn't fit in.

After Major Polk finished his rant he took a deep breath and got down to business "Let's start with your name"

"It's Grazot," the General replied directly.

"Ok _Grazot…D_o you carry a rank in your army? From the looks of your uniform you're an office of some type. Isn't that what the colors represent? Of course, you look like you haven't changed clothes in a year. And from all that blood you might have killed your superior and taken his rank and identity. Are you a deserter? Are you trying to strike an alliance with the Eastern Coalition? You were all warned…" Polk rattled off in rapid fire.

"M-My … my uniform …" Grazot mumbled as the lights went on inside his brain.

_That's it!_ the ape said inside himself, _my uniform_. _They don't recognize me; they recognize the uniform …Supreme General Narr; His Contingent; they must have somehow run into this tribe. _

"And just where is the rest of my army?" Grazot asked back ignoring the Major's questions

"I'm getting very bored with this." Polk shot back getting very close to Grazot's face. "I could have you hung; Consorting with Coalition soldiers, scouting us from the Renovo desert, firing on Western Territorial soldiers, you take your pick."

The interrogation went on for another hour. Grazot was questioned about their unique weapons and equipment, about the men, about how they'd penetrated their boarders and made it all the way to the Renovo. He was beaten and actually came clean but Polk didn't believe a word of it.

Major Polk finally called for a guard. "Whoever he is, he's strong willed. He stuck to that rabble as if he actually believed it. Kill him." He stated coldly.

Gun fire and yelling immediately followed the order Polk had just given causing him to take pause.

"Now what?" the chimp Major mumbled, shaking his head.

"Throw, _the General_, in the cell with the others" he sarcastically went on, "…and then grab a medic and meet me in Area C. Some nut just discharged their firearm and it sounds like we might have wounded to deal with."

***** Minutes later *** Detention Cell E-11 **

"General, are you alright?" The voice echoed through Grazot's bleary skull.

"Get him some water" The gorilla ordered.

The other ape in the cell did as he was instructed. They gave Grazot the liquid and helped him regain some of his composure.

"Let's move him to that cot." The second gorilla stated. After several minutes the General's senses began to slowly return. Grazot opened his swollen eyes and gazed up.

"General Narr? Is that you Sir?" Grazot mumbled in surprise. He rubbed his face gently with his paws and pulled back as the pain in his face and ears cried out from his touch. He'd been beaten so badly that his eyes hardly opened. He wondered if he was hallucinating.

"It's me Grazot." Narr said in reply, "How'd you get here and have you been demoted to Group Captain, in my absence?"

"How ya doin', Sir?" the gorilla with the water said. "It's been a while"

"I've seen better days, Arris, but it's good to see some friendly faces. Even if they're blurred faces" Grazot replied to Colonel Arris

Grazot tilted his head towards Narr and said, "Don't let the uniform confuse you, Sir. It's a very long story. And one that doesn't have a blissful ending either. I wish I could tell you that I was here with the Western Ape Contingent but…"

The General went on to explain what had happened during Narr's absence. He spoke of the events that brought him in contact with the humans, of the death of General Zuglanus at the _hands_ of Ndola, and the death of Tyus in the ruins, of the Prefect and his insane pursuits that had plunged their nation into anarchy and finally of the poison that now barred their return. Under normal circumstances Narr would have reacted differently but the last few months had drastically changed his way of thinking.

Narr had interacted with talking men; armed, reasoning, fighting, talking men. Obviously what he'd been told growing up was a complete lie or a tale born of ignorance. He'd also witnessed the advances that these apes had made; their weapons, structures, medicine, their manipulation of metals, their basic tools, all of it was years beyond anything he thought was possible. Even their clothing was oddly advanced. And from what his General was now saying, it was obvious he'd been intentionally lied to, all these years. Sullen had always looked at progress as a fragile flower, needing tilling, time and patience but these apes had used it to improve their quality of life and to secure it's safety. They'd laughed at the muskets when they'd first encountered his militia. Now, no one was laughing.

Narr had no love for humans but on the opposite paw he viewed these apes as the more serious threat. They were a warrior society; no Council, no Governors, no Prefect, just the military. It ran the government, the police, controlled commerce, the education, food…everything. But that wasn't the worst of it; they were also running short on resources. It was only a matter of time before they figured out a way across that desert and eventually into Argos. Now that they knew Argos existed. Supreme General Narr had told them just about everything when they'd first arrived.

These apes thought there was nothing on the others side of the desert, except more desert. They also possessed military weapons that could smash Argos to pieces. _Artillery_, they'd called it and it was highly impressive. If his Contingent could traverse the desert these apes could easily do it too.

"…and that's about it Sir. Prefect Sullen's obsessions with these men have made the ape insane." Grazot stated in conclusion.

Narr thought of his family, his career, his power and his wealth. He was getting old and would have been on The Council in a few years. That would have set him up for the rest of his life. He concluded in the back of his mind that he was going back home. Despite the poison that fell from above he was going to somehow return. He'd invested his whole life to the nation he loved; a nation he believed in. He'd be damned if he was going to let it fall into dust because of some insane orangutan or invasion by these ape lunatics. Of course, he'd first have to escape from this cell.

**Interrogation Room C-16**

The ape back-pawed Hayes so hard that both he and the chair he was tied to soared off the ground. Hayes landed on his side as the wooden piece of furniture splintered into several pieces. The gorilla jumped over the table and grabbed the man by the cuff of his chest. He lifted Hayes off the ground and slammed him back first onto the table. Hayes landed with a distinct _oooffff._

This went on for several minutes without a single question being asked. He wasn't being tortured…yet. The ape was softening him up; attempting to get him mentally off balance. And what better way to do that, than with pain. The ape grabbed Hayes by the throat and reached for the M-16. He held the weapon to the man's head and finally asked the first question.

"How did you make this? Why are you here?" the gorilla spat out. The brute scooped up a cupful of water and threw into the man's face. He pulled Hayes up and asked the same questions again.

Hayes slumped somberly on the edge of the hard wooden table and coughed out the water. A stunned expression hung on his face. His mouth hung slightly open on one side. The swollen, bleeding lip kept it from closing it completely. His eyes locked on the small displayed panel of the rifle that was glowing with a soft green radiance. They'd removed the magazine but the Cobalt Disruptor was still powered. A spark of hope rose in the man's mind as an idea formed. Hayes weakly pointed at the weapon and whispered.

"What?" the gorilla said impatiently. "Speak up!"

Hayes intentionally mumbled again, hoping it would draw the massive beast closer. The adrenalin in his system caused his heart to begin to pound; which was working directly against the ruse that he was overly fatigued. His plan but it was a long shot. He looked at the size of the ape and for a spilt second his mind cried out, _don't do it_. But what was the alternative? He was probably going to die anyway. So why not go down fighting? If this plan failed he would most assuredly a goner. Hayes took in a deep breath and pointed at the firearm a third time. He deliberately stumbled into the side of the ape keeping his eyes fixed on the rifle.

What happened next seemed like a blur. The gorilla strong armed Hayes, in a reflex action, to stop his fall. Hayes twisted slightly allowing the loose ropes to interweave with both him and the gorilla. It wasn't an attempt to tie the gorilla, it more of a trick to divert attention to his tangled arm. As the ape brought his other arm forward to swipe at the line, Hayes grabbed for the rifle. The gorilla felt the tug. He lifted the tangled arm, raising the man far above the ground. Hayes had taken the ape's strength and agility for granted but the ape had taken the ancient weapon for granted. What was a weak human going to do with an empty rifle?

"I've had enough of this" The ape said as he slammed Hayes downward.

With all the strength he could muster Hayes held tightly on the weapon. The force jolted it free just enough for him to squeeze the trigger. The disruptor burst connected with the apes extended chin. The primate's weight shifted as his body went limp. He fell towards Hayes, sending the man into the side of the table. Both he and the ape crashed to the ground with a thump.

As quickly as he could Hayes worked his way out from under his interrogator. The man detached himself from the obvious duty ahead. It was a little easier since he was basically slaughtering an animal. And animals they were, Hayes mused. He wondered what kind of moron would not only be stupid enough to bring a bag full of weapons into an interrogation room but also allow his captor to come within arms reach of them. The man took the ropes and choked the life out the gorilla before he ever regained bodily control.

**Detention Cell E-11**

"So what happened here, Sir" Grazot asked as he struggled to sit up. He took note of the cell. It was definitely a cell but there appeared to be certain _comforts_; for VIP prisoners possibly. The more things changed the more they stayed the same, Grazot thought.

"Just about everyone is dead, General. We lost a few in the old city but not many. We were attacked by the same savages you spoke of but quickly fought them off. About another third died in the desert. We ran out of water and supplies. We sent scouts in every direction only one unit returned and they were accompanied by soldiers from this nation." Arris stated as he answered for Narr.

"At first we were welcomed, accepted, given respect and even a modest tour of their city." Narr added. "They believed we had a common cause, a common enemy…_man_. They hate men about as much as Ndola does…or did, anyway. Yet the more I spoke of home the more they wanted to know about it. At first I thought it was simply out of curiosity but I became suspicious when they keyed in on our food supplies, water sources, and finally our defenses."

"They armed our soldiers and provided us with maps and a route to what they refer to as; _The Capital…"_

"The Capital… I've often heard the men I arrived with use that term, Sir" Grazot stated.

"Evidently that's a city containing some kind of great weapon or power. I'm certain it's the place the Prefect ordered me to destroy, as well." Narr replied. "Anyway, we headed out into this Human Coalition territory and towards their Capital. Their leader, a Lieutenant General Voss, knew of a route that was inconspicuous. By the time I understood their real intentions, it was too late."

"Our soldiers were all but slaughtered, Sir" Colonel Arris interjected.

"That's an understatement" Narr replied "Colonel Sark unwittingly led the bulk of our forces into an ambush. Humans by the droves came out of nowhere but that's not the unsettling part of the story. I know it's unbelievable but the city itself reached out in defense…almost as if it had a mind of its own. I signaled retreat but it was too late."

Narr paused as he felt his anger rising. He grit his teeth and continued. "We were used as bait, Grazot. While the city attacked us Voss somehow managed to slip through the …whatever … that was protecting this capital. He hasn't been seen or heard from in weeks."

"Their rank structure is a little different" Arris claimed "but it's also very similar many ways. Their ranking soldier is a Major who is as brutal a taskmaster as Voss."

The conversation became less and less involved as the sounds of gun fire became more and more distinguishable. It sounded like a riot. Without warning the door to their cell swung open. It was the last survivor of Narr's Contingent; Troop Sergeant Ogden.

He tossed some fatigues into the room and shouted "Strip out of those rags and put these on …Move your butts". He added "…Sirs" to the end of the sentence as well as a half smile and salute.


	23. Chapter 23: United We Stand

**Detention Cell E-11**

"We need to hurry, gentleapes. …Just get 'em on. I didn't have time to consult a tailor." Troop Sergeant Ogden barked out as the gunfire got louder. "Here, you'll need these too." he continued, laying a few rifles against the wall.

"What's goin on Ogden? Where did you get that?" Grazot asked as he slowly slid an arm into the battle fatigues. The General was still in bad shape and not quite certain he was seeing what he was seeing. One of the firearms looked like an M-103. He looked again…It was.

"It will all be explained soon enough, Sir. Let's just say I've been making some plans of my own. You officers need all the help you can get" The Troop Sergeant answered with a grin. "Now if we could all please just cut the chatter and get our butts in gear we might make it out alive."

Gun fire blazed loudly almost drowning out Ogden's last sentence. Distant screams followed as the shots died down. Seconds later the sound of approaching footsteps echoed, coming closer and closer. Grazot heard a familiar voice cry out, "We need to get going. Reinforcements are coming. They're seconds behind us."

"That's Hayes" the gorilla claimed in surprise. The General started to move towards the door but stumbled as his strength wavered. Colonel Arris caught him before he completely toppled over. "Easy does it, Sir. They beat you up pretty bad" he said.

"I'm fine" Grazot lied. "… just a little light headed"

"Colonel, you help General Grazot," Narr ordered "Sergeant Ogden, grab a weapon and take the lead. You obviously have a plan and I'm tired of being a prisoner. Come on, let's go".

Narr grabbed a rife as Ogden handed Arris a pistol. The group stumbled out of the room and moved down the corridor. Ogden seemed to know where he was heading. Hayes was providing cover fire, accompanied by two armed men. They flinched uncomfortably as the gorillas emerged. The men were thin and scrawny, Grazot noted. Actually, all humans were thin and scrawny to the General but these two looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks.

Gun shots ripped from an armed chimp rounding the corner to their rear. The primate flopped like a marionette as the three humans turned his body into Swiss cheese. A second ape used the wall for leverage, bounding back and forth at an incredible pace. He pounced on one of the malnourished humans and drove a knife into his chest. The other two men caught the orangutan in a cross fire of shells.

"Just a little further…" Ogden shouted. No sooner had the ape finish the sentence when foot steps and shouts in the opposite direction approached. They were a ways off but closing quickly.

"We're going to get pinned in" The Coalition soldier thought aloud.

"…and I'm empty" Hayes added.

"The area was supposed to be clear." Ogden mumbled adding a few _colorful metaphors_ to the sentence.

A familiar metal _clank_ rang through Hayes's head as the oval shaped object bounced down the hallway. "My gosh, that's a grenade! …AROUND THAT CORNER!" Hayes shouted as he pressed against General Narr. If they hadn't been at a cross section the grenade would have cut them to pieces.

The explosion shook the structure with a deafening _Ka-Boom!_ Pieces of the wall and ceiling fell as the searing shrapnel shot in every direction. It ripped into the granite, peppering the opposite wall. There was little time to react as Ogden opened fire to his front ignoring the order to surrender and come forward. It was a futile gesture as the corridor was long and twisted. But it managed to slow their pursuers just long enough for him to reach his destination.

Hayes answered the group to the back with a grenade of his own. He cussed as he'd heard the order to fall back being given. The second explosion collapsed the structure further but no one cried out in pain. That was fine with Hayes. It would, at a minimum, buy them some time.

"Ok, this is it." Ogden shouted as he pulled out a key and opened the cell door. "Get in, move it, get in…" he ordered. Once they were all inside he shut the door tight.

On a cot in the corner, lay a bloody and bruised Tom March. The man didn't even flinch as the group poured into the room. He'd been bandaged, if you could call it that. His captors obviously wanted him alive and well enough for further questioning. A dead prisoner wasn't good for anything but a, nearly dead, prisoner was a wealth of information.

"Tom!" Hayes exclaimed in surprise.

"It's not as bad as it looks, Jonny" March groaned out.

"Help him." Ogden stated pointing at Hayes and the other human. "Ok, let's see if that gold paid off." The gorilla mumbled as he reached under the cot. Ogden pulled out a steel pipe from the corner. He sighed in relief. The ape grunted as he bent the rod and wedged it into a small opening inside the door handle. Outside the apes were banging away at the steel entrance. They were shouting threats, along with convincing lies, that if they surrendered immediately, they'd be treated justly.

"Just what are we suppose to do now?" Narr stated impatiently as he looked around the cramped cell. The four apes and three humans barely fit in the small space.

"We do _this_," Ogden said as he lifted the cot and drove it into the wall. After a few shoves the structure gave way revealing the evening sky. "Keep your traps shut, move your paws like you have a purpose in life" The gorilla Troop Sergeant barked out in typical military fashion.

"We've got company…" the thin human shouted. Ogden smacked the rifle aside just as the man fired.

"They're with us, boy. Just follow my lead." Ogden snarled in irritation.

Next, the sergeant tossed a small leather bag of gold and silver coins to the apes the man had just tried to kill. A few were all on horses others were on foot. "Ok, do your stuff. You'll have the remainder in a day or two" Ogden said as he lobbed the bag to one of the chimps on horseback. Ogden also tossed up various pieces of their old uniforms. The soldiers rode off quickly.

"Well get it done!" A gorilla bluntly stated to Ogden. "And make it look legit" he added.

Ogden raised a rifle and drove it into the apes face with brutal force. The primate's head twisted sending him off balance and to the ground. The Sergeant followed up by kicking the chimp in the chest and breaking a rib. A second soldier wailed as a dagger was thrust into his thigh. He muttered a threat and told Ogden that he should have demanded more in compensation.

"You'll have enough to buy a new body when this is done" Ogden stated as he turned and struck a third soldier, without advanced warning.

The fourth soldier pulled out a container of animal blood and scattered it around the ground and on their uniforms, "It will throw the wolves off the trail." He said noting the look of confusion on Narr's face.

"Get going" the orangutan ordered as he fired several shots into the air "Reinforcements will be here shortly."

The group gathered themselves together and headed off into the darkness.

**Below the ruins of Buffalo, New York - Sothern Conduit; Section Y**

Prefect Sullen bit into the skinned rat as if it were Christmas turkey. In the last day and a half the only thing he'd eaten were a few small bugs and an occasional mouse. He thanked the great ape that there was water, as well as, food in this desolate waste of space. Rats were everywhere.

He wasn't completely sure but figured that he was going in the right direction. It hadn't been easy but he was confident he'd picked up General Grazot's trail. There were enough facts to confirm that this place had been recently visited. The garbage, a few shell casings, the boot prints, and even a human hand print gave evidence to support his suspicions. The three pods in the adjacent room was evidence enough but it was obvious regardless.

Sullen slept a bit, ate, and slowly built up his strength. He cautiously cared for his wounded arm that was getting worse each day. He worked his way down the medium sized passageway and up the stairwell. He cringed a little at the skeletal remains. The Lord Prefect followed the same route the others had taken and eventually reached the surface. If he'd been human he would have never been able to climb the shaft with a broken arm, but since he was an ape, he scurried up, using the three good paws.

He'd finally reached the surface and was grateful to be alive. Sullen shivered in the cold desert night. _I'm as good as dead_, he thought looking at all the sand and rocks. His luck had taken a slight turn for the worse. He had no way of tracking the General now. There were no prints, trails, or evidence of any kind. Sullen gazed up at the star strewn sky and thought of his children. He double checked the make-shift supplies he'd gathered and headed out.

**Somewhere within the ape city**

"Where are we" Narr asked.

"A safe house of sorts, Sir. The previous owner no longer has need of it." Ogden replied. "I used a lot of our gold and silver to get you out of there. We can lay low for a day or two and then slip out of the city once things settle. I paid those chimps to make tracks that lead to a breach in their perimeter. I also paid handsomely for, _the breach_. If we're lucky they'll think it was us. There's a little food, wine, water, and some blankets in there" He concluded pointing at the adjacent room.

Ogden filled them in on his entire plan. He'd been forced to adjust his preparations, slightly; All of it due to the surprising appearance of General Grazot and the two men. He'd picked up on the rumors in the local cantina about where they were housed and what was being considered.

Ogden was the top ranking Contingent Troop Sergeant. His grade was equivalent to that of, Sergeant Major of the Army in the human military of old. With the position came power and responsibility. He'd been entrusted with the logistical coordination of their pilgrimage southeast and also with troop morale. That included playing quartermaster. He'd held the soldier's compensation and had argued against Narr's leanings towards leaving the riches in Kawaka. Now that the soldiers were dead he'd decided to use the funds to save the lives of his leadership. He'd been tight lipped about it too. These savages would have cut his throat for 1/10th of what he carried. Ogden paid to have March put in the cell to the rear of the compound. He'd _influenced_ the soldier interrogating Hayes to flaunt the captured weapons about, in victory. He also used some of that gold to pay a gorilla to persuade the garrison commander that maintenance was required on the rear wall of the compound. The gorilla had softened the structure just enough for Ogden to bust through the wall.

They were housed in a rather large home. The chimp that formerly lived there had been a, well-off, fat, drunk. Yes, a drunk, but a functional one and a fairly successful business-ape. It was convenient in many ways. The ape had no wife, no offspring, and no real friends. He was also too cheap to hire servants. The dwelling was in a moderately populated area of town. It was not the typical place where one would choose to hide if they wanted to escape. Ogden used that to his advantage. No one would come looking for them here.

The Troop Sergeant had cozied up to the drunk by buying him wine and then by providing food for him to choke down. Once he'd won his trust, he flashed some of the gold about and mentioned a business arrangement he was working on. The ape took the bait and later, a knife in the back.

"Sergeant, just how do you know you can trust these apes? They may be spilling their guts as I speak." Grazot asked.

"I don't Sir, but I've been planning to get General Narr and the Colonel out for over a month. I was cautious enough to only confide in a few and they haven't been fully paid. Others, I simply killed. This is a big city and has its spots of corruption. Gold is an impressive motivator and dead apes tell no tales." Ogden explained.

"Yeah, until someone comes along and offers more money or starts wondering where all the dead bodies are coming from" Hayes interjected.

"No, the plan isn't perfect, but it was well thought out. Your furless hide is sitting here safe and sound, isn't it? Timing is the key. We're not going to be here long. We have some assets and I'm not going to let our liabilities fester long enough to take root." Ogden stated.

"And just why are you helping me, Gorilla? I suppose I'm one of _the assets_ you'll just kill off once you're done with it?" the scrawny Coalition soldier asked in complete distrust. His whole life had been spent battling apes. The idea of working with them was completely foreign. There had been some very lucid cease fires and the occasional trade for needed food or supplies but neither species trusted the other beyond that.

"And who are you two? I don't recognize you …or him" The soldier continued pointing at March who was out cold. "…or those rags of a uniform you're wearing"

"My name is Captain Hayes, Jon Hayes; US Air Force. We're not exactly from, uh, the neighborhood." Hayes said extending a hand. Even after several hundred years a hand shake was still recognizable among men. The young soldier awkwardly took the hand and shook it. He didn't look much older than twenty four or twenty five years old. But his features were like stone. Something told Hayes that he'd probably skipped everything past 'toddler' and had been thrust directly into manhood.

"U ESSSS", the man sounded out with emphasis that was accompanied by a sarcastic chuckle, "…as in; _United States_. And I suppose you've been asleep for three hundred years? Look around; there is no _US_ anymore. Cripes, there are only a few thousand humans left and that number drops every week. And it's _Air Force_ huh? Not Army or Marine. You fly then? This is a ruse, isn't it? You want me to lead you back to our settlement, don't you?"

"That's exactly what I want." Ogden stated, startling the Coalition soldier, with his blunt honesty. "Yes we want to find your settlement, but not to invade or expose it. We want…we must ally with your people; possibly even barter for weapons. These simians are as much a threat to our nation as they are to you. Once you're no longer a threat, they're going to turn their attention to us."

Ogden explained as much as he could to the man. He told them of his home, their journey, and even included the fact that their original mission was to eradicate his people. When he was done, the man stood there as skeptical as when he started. Some of what Ogden stated had been verified by their scouts but that could have been intentional: part of their plan.

"Nice one, _Troop Sergeant_ is it? ...A thriving ape nation just across the desert, huh? First you wanted to kill us and now you want to be allies, eh?" the man said shaking his head. "Do I look like fool to you? Nothing lies beyond that desert and nothing can survive in it; let alone a journey through it. And let's just say you're not lying and that we agree to help you. And let's even say we succeed in crushing every ape under Voss's command, what then? It'll be just like you said; _once they're no longer a threat, you'll turn your attention to us_."

"Don't be a fool, Boy. Why would we go through all this trouble when they could have simply tortured the information out of you? Do you think we'd butcher our own kind to simply catch a few weak little men?" Ogden sternly shot back almost getting in the man's face. It was hard for him to separate the soldier from the ape. Thirty years of barking, leading and demanding were etched into his personality.

And that was exactly what the man expected from a gorilla, or any ape for that matter. He shot up and clutched his weapon. "Get out of my face you furry little son of…" The soldier began to reply.

"Sit down!" Hayes blurted out with all the military bearing of a seasoned drill sergeant. "You don't believe them, ok, I totally understand but just what do think my part in all this is? Do think they're going to use you and then let me go Scott-free? All I'm asking is that you hear me out, soldier. If you're not satisfied, you can go your way." Hayes tilted his head slightly and held up a hand, signaling for Ogden keep quiet. The ape protested at first but finally gave way. He'd planned too long to simply let the soldier walk off. But maybe the human could reach a part of the man he never would.

"Let's start with a name." Hayes said.

"Robbins" The man replied curtly "Staff Sergeant Zachary Robbins, Second platoon, One-Seventy-Fifth, Coalition Infantry"

"Take a look at these weapons, Staff Sergeant" he said pointing at the bag Ogden had secured. "Have you ever seen a rifle like that? Look at the making on the dagger; _U.S. Army_. Does it look three hundred years old to you? He's telling the truth. Our ship crashed in their city. We can help you, if you'll help us"

"…Your…ship… So you do fly? Of course you do. You're the United States Air Force?" the man repeated with utter sarcasm. He couldn't help but laugh. His mind just wouldn't accept it. Apes had killed his parents, his siblings. They were savage animals as far as Robbins was concerned. And this man was just a lunatic who they'd brainwashed with tales from long ago.

Robbins had to admit that the weapons were unique. But even his people had stumbled across the occasional relic. The man continued to argue and then abruptly stopped when Hayes laid the pack down and the shiny objects in the box labeled _Nuclear Cell_ rolled out.

Robbins stopped in mid sentence …"Where did you get these!" he exclaimed looking past the weapons. He paused again in mid thought as he pulled out the small container and read _Nuclear Cell_ aloud.

Staff Sergeant Robbins opened the box and almost dropped it as he gazed inside. Neither the apes nor Hayes understood what he was getting at as he babbled on. "I – I don't believe my eyes. Where did you get this? Do you realize what this means? They're finished. …after all these years we can finally get in …we've won"

**Western Territorial Military Headquarters – A few days later**

Captain Lant stood erect as he delivered the bad news to Major Polk. "…Most of them are gone Sir. But our engineers were given a couple of the rifles for study. There is some good in this, if you can call it that. The computing devices are still locked in the vault. The bad news is that those rifles appear to be new. If the humans have found a way to manufacture weapons like this, we're in trouble. Maybe they've discovered a way into the ancient capital. They're incredible, Major. If we can figure out how to duplicate and mass produce them, we'll have a distinct military advantage. We ran some tests yesterday and I've arranged for a demonstration later today. "

Polk took a drink, leaned back in his chair, and nodded. "We need more than speculation. We need hard facts. For all we know they may have used these weapons on General Voss. I want to know what they were doing so far into our territory with them. We can discuss that in the staff meeting tomorrow. Now, to my next thought; what's going on with the soldier who allowed the prisoners to escape?" he asked.

"Oh, he finally died" Lant replied as casually as if he were talking about an ant he'd crushed. "The damage done by the human was too extensive. He never did regain consciousness."

"And have we rounded up any more traitors? That Ogden sure had me fooled" Polk said gritting his teeth slightly. "I was a complete idiot. He came to me with their coins and I walked right into his hands. I allowed him to exchange his currency …_minus a small tax_ …and he used the money to bribe our soldiers."

"We were all fooled, Sir," Lant continued. "TID _(*Territorial Intelligence Division)_, is conducting an investigation. They've already recovered a body at the Armory. I'm sure that's how he acquired some of the weapons. We followed tracks leading to the woods. They may be long gone. Unfortunately, that's about all I have, Sir"

"I want Major Sidon to be prepared to speak to that in tomorrow's meeting. Between now and then if TID discovers anything, I want to know about it immediately. Has the reconnaissance unit we sent into the outer areas reported back yet? We must determine a direction… anything that might give us a lead as to where they are." Polk ordered.

"None have reported yet but you know how dangerous it is. There are traps everywhere", Lant replied. "There is another matter we need to discuss"

"And what's that, Captain?" Polk replied as he rubbed the fatigue out of his eyes and stretched his arms.

"You were correct Sir. More of the visitors were out there. Our scouts found another ape in the desert. He was half dead and he was carrying of the weapons." Lant answered

"What?" the Major exclaimed as his adrenalin pushed his exhaustion away. "Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?"

"The team just reported in. I was only told of it myself, a moment ago." Lant explained.

"Was he alone? This is insane. Have they set up a resort out there or something?" Polk asked rhetorically.

"He was alone and unconscious. He's in a cell. I've assigned a doctor to him. There's more. He's an orangutan" Captain Lant stated.

"Impossible, all of the visitors are gorillas." Polk replied

"Sir," Lant continued, "He's no gorilla and he appears to be someone of prominence. His clothes were tattered but the style, color patterns, and symbols seem to fit their culture"

"Wonderful" Polk laughed, "Did we find another _General_?"

"He had these on him too." Lant said tossing the items on the desk in front of Polk.

"_Holy Scrolls_," Polk laughed as he picked up the small parchment. "I've heard talk of their _great-ape_…They certainly are a bunch of backward primitives, aren't they? No books, no weapons, clothes made of leather and animal skins. Hell, they don't even have a grasp on modern artillery. Their top General acted like I'd conjured up a dragon when we demonstrated it… It's a wonder they survive at all"

"Unlike us Sir, they don't have a human problem and their lands are rich with food and water. They span an area as larger than our land and the desert combined. Their crops get plenty of rain and they have an abundance of fish and game. Even a nest of field mice could flourish under those conditions." Lant said.

"Yes and soon we'll be in possession of all of it." Polk stated.


	24. Chapter 24: Keep Your Enemies Close

**Outside the ape city borders- Three days later**

"I don't like this, Ogden! We're hanging out here with our necks in the wind" Narr spoke with an air of suspicion.

"Yes something's going on. You'd think someone who was getting paid off would show up on time." Ogden answered. He hid his impatience but his features displayed anger and annoyance.

"I agree" added Grazot as he looked around. "Something's not right"

Ogden had arranged to meet with only one ape. He'd planed and re-planed and then thought it through some more. One ape soldier was to take a lump-sum and distribute it to the others that had helped him escape. The area Ogden picked was fairly secure. It didn't make for an ideal ambush spot because of the heavy vegetation and rolling ground. That, nevertheless, didn't stop the apes that were hiding about from trying.

"That looks heavy you human loving traitor, why not let me have it…all?" A voice bellowed from the foliage.

Several apes dropped from the trees. Dust and leaves sprayed in every direction as they hit the ground. Two others immerged from the surrounding brush with weapons pointed. One fired but hit a huge tree, obstructing his view.

The mixed group of humans and gorillas found themselves quickly surrounded. An attacking chimpanzee lunged at Supreme General Narr who was reaching for a rifle. The two of them toppled into General Grazot.

Another attacker fired at Hayes and voiced his disgust regarding the human species. Once again the protective plating he'd taken from the old armory saved his life. The force of the shots threw him off balance and on to the ground. Colonel Arris, who was next to Hayes, wasn't as fortunate. Several bullets hit the gorilla in the chest, shoulder, and arm. The force of the impact spun him around where another assailant was waiting to finish him off. He fired a shot into the gut of Arris. Before the chimp could shoot a second round he felt the full weight of Ogden impact with his body. Hayes experienced a familiar uneasiness as he'd watched Ogden leap several feet into the air and descend on the attacking soldier with incredible dexterity. His mind raced back to their arrival and to Colonel Johnson. What seemed even more amazing was the fact that that Ogden was holding a rucksack full of gold and silver. It alone weighed hundreds of pounds. Ogden handled it as if it were full of feathers.

"You want it? By all means then, take it." Ogden said as he brought the sack down on the ape's head.

March, who was on a stretcher, retrieved a pistol he'd been carrying. He emptied half the clip into the charging orangutan to his front. It slowed the animal enough for Robbins to put a slug into the ape's knee. That stopped the beast cold in his tracks. The man was deadly accurate with the pistol. The Coalition Staff Sergeant immediately fired an additional shot into the orangutan's head. The animal instantly fell limp to the ground.

Without hesitation Robbins fired at the final assailant, again targeting the knee. The ape buckled and wobbled to the ground. A head shot was a quick kill but Coalition troops understood all too well how strong and agile the ape was. A shot to the knee seriously immobilized the animals, making the head shot easier to achieve. It was one of the first things he'd been taught as a boy.

The brawl only lasted one and a half minutes. When it was over; two attackers were dead on the ground, each missing a head. One had his neck snapped, one was beaten to death and the last threw down his weapon and surrendered. Or he would have, if he'd been allowed to. No sooner had the ape dropped the weapon when Robbins _dropped_ him.

Colonel Arris was dead but his eyes were open and staring straight ahead. It spooked March but he said nothing. The ape's arm was nearly detached from his shoulder. He was also bleeding out of several large wounds. His weight shifted and he fell prostrate to the ground. Narr looked at his fallen comrade shaking his head in anger. He'd witnessed more death than he cared to count. He reached down and closed the ape's eyes.

"I'm getting too old for this." Grazot mumbled as he kicked one of the hobbled corpses.

"We can't stay here. Every ape in the city probably heard those shots." Robbins stated. "Come on …grab their ammunition and shell casings and let's get moving." No sooner had he finished his sentence when a sound very familiar to the humans whistled through the air.

"Cover! Incoming…" March yelled as the artillery shell impacted a good ways southwest of their position.

Pieces of tree, dirt, and rock shot out in very direction as the deafening sound echoed through the air. Both Hayes and Robbins instinctively dove flat on the ground. Grazot, Ogden and Narr didn't know what to make of things but awkwardly knelt down when March yelled something about shrapnel taking off their heads. None of them had ever been on the receiving end of an artillery barrage.

_Ka-boom … Ka-boom_ … _Ka-boom … Ka-boom_ … four more rounds landed, each impacting a little closer but still south of their position.

"They don't know where we are but they're walking it in." Robbins shouted. "You" he said pointing at Narr. "Grab him and head that way as quickly as you …" _Ka-boom … Ka-boom_ … obscured the last words of his order as two more rounds impacted, taking out a tree a few hundred yards away. Robbins gave each of the ape's specific instructions. He barked at them as only an NCO could. The apes did as they were told and bound forward.

**Medical Detention Facility – Section 33-A**

Prefect Sullen fully awoke for the first time in two days. His vision was hazy and he noticed that his arm was wrapped and in a cast. He looked around the tiny room trying to place the setting. Nothing looked familiar and there was an offensive scent in air. He tried to go back to sleep but the dissipating drugs in his bloodstream were slowly neutralizing the desire. He rubbed his eyes and unexpectedly noticed that he wasn't alone.

"Well look-e here, Lieutenant, the little monkey is finally awake. Those are some real interesting clothes you're wearing. Did you borrow them from your wife?" The sarcastic voice chuckled. The other figure in the cell laughed as well.

Sullen turned, blinked, and focused on the two figures with revulsion. Two human males; two, clothed human males. His first thought was that he'd been captured by the very tribe he was trying to eradicate but these animals looked malnourished and wounded. No, they looked more beaten than wounded, he surmised. That didn't mean much to the Prefect. As far as he was concerned these mongrels ate their own. But there was the fact that his wound looked as if it had been cleaned, set and treated. Their wounds, however, were untouched. In fact, the two men looked as if they hadn't bathed in a year. Something didn't add up.

_Are these the two that crashed into Arum?_ He thought.

Before Sullen was able to get his answer, an oddly uniformed chimpanzee opened the cell door. A sophisticated piece of hardware hung from a strap on his shoulder. He held the weapon tightly with one paw. He pointed the rifle directly into the cell but specifically at the two human soldiers. The men lost their smiles quickly and instinctively backed away. Sullen, nonetheless, breathed a sigh of relief as he realized his assumptions were wrong. With his opposite paw the chimp looked at Sullen and motioned for him to leave the cell.

The chimp led him down a very tight hallway. He didn't say much and gave no answers to the questions Sullen asked. The majority of the conversation consisted of either, "That way" or "Turn here". Sullen noted that he was in some kind of prison-hospital. The facility was morbid with the stench of stale medication but it looked highly developed. He'd never seen anything like it.

They stopped at a room with three gorilla guards. "Go on … stand over there", the Chimp said as he gave Sullen a slight nudge. The Prefect stumbled to the left. He began to protest but a swift "shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you!" from one of the gorillas put an end to that.

_What's happened and where am I?_ He wondered as he gazed around and contemplated his situation. The last thing he remembered was falling unconscious under the hot desert sun. Now he was here; wherever _here_ was. The word, _escape_, jumped into his head but his common sense told him he wouldn't get half a step towards the door. These apes were armed and they weren't carrying muskets. Besides, he'd noted that the gorilla who'd just shut him down looked as if he was eagerly waiting for Sullen to try something stupid.

"I have a temporary prisoner release, per Captain Lant. Here's the authorization. He's being sent forward for questioning." The chimp said as he laid the written order on the desk.

The clerk nodded and motioned for one of the gorillas to shackle the Prefect. The young Private yawned and lazily attempted to do as he'd been instructed. "Hey! How am I supposed to put in irons on him with this cast in the way?" The gorilla grunted out in frustration.

"Cripes Garth …it's a wonder you can even dress yourself you lethargic vagrant. Use ropes on the arms and fetter the legs" the guard at the desk said without even lifting his head.

Once Sullen was bound, the clerk signed the release, stamped the paper and said "Ok Sergeant, he's free to go"

Minutes later Sullen arrived at his final destination; another cell. It smelled musty and of stale body odor but it was better than the rancid medicinal aroma he'd just left. In the corner sat an old desk accompanied by two wooden chairs. The chimp told the orangutan to sit and informed him that someone would be in shortly. To the Prefect's surprise his restraints were loosened and shortly after he was offered food and water. The smell of the cooked beef made him suddenly realize just how hungry he was. Sullen sat and wolfed down the small meal as quickly as he could.

"Careful," the chimp said mockingly "some of that's getting into your mouth." The Prefect smirked but kept eating.

It was almost four hours later before Captain Lant walked in with two armed orangutans. Sullen had dozed off but quickly snapped back into reality as the loud rusty hinges creaked. The ape looked odd to Sullen. He was obviously a soldier but the uniform was certainly out of the ordinary. Sullen began to rise but Lant civilly motioned him to sit.

"How are you?" The Captain asked as he sat down in the other chair. "Do you feel ok?" Lant wasn't asking out of concern. His superior demanded answers, detailed answers and Lant wanted to make certain Sullen wasn't too drugged up to supply that information.

Sullen nodded and candidly answered with a few questions of his own. "Where am I and just what gives you the right to shackle and cage me like some human animal? And speaking of humans, who knows what diseases those creatures you housed me with are carrying? Just who are you simians, anyway?

"We happen to be the simians that saved your life. That's who we are" Lant replied "And we dressed your wounds, as well. Another thirty minutes in the desert and you'd be sharing a room with the worms. You sir, were found inside our boarders and you were armed. I think that gives us the right to restrain you. As for where you are, you're in the Territorial Capital. My name is Lant; Captain Lant. I'm the acting Operations Officer of the 70th, Territorial Brigade, Higher headquarters Command." Most of the Captain's military affiliation went right over Sullen's head.

"Believe me when I say, I'm grateful, but look Captain, one day I'm in the desert the next thing I know I'm waking up in a cell…with two humans … And then I suddenly find myself chained and dragged in here like some kind of criminal. My name is Sullen. I'm the Lord Prefect of an area hundreds of miles from here. I'm in search of a traitor…" Sullen went on to explain.

"What in the hell is a, _Lord Prefect_?" Lant asked with suspicion. "Tell me that that isn't a fancy title for _General_." The two guards chuckled but Sullen had no idea that Lant was referring to Grazot and Narr.

The exchange continued for several hours. Lant was quite efficient at verifying information. He'd been with Territorial Intelligence as a Lieutenant, before taking command of an Artillery battery when he was promoted to Captain. After the disappearance of General Voss and most of the command staff, he'd been temporarily slotted as Polk's Executive Officer.

Once Lant finished Sullen was moved to regular quarters but was assigned military _escorts,_ for his _safety._ He was limited to where he could go, when he could go, and what he could do. The dwelling was extravagant and lush. There was food, wine, tobacco, and he was even offered female companionship, but refused. Sullen sat, ate, paced, and finally napped, until he couldn't take the boredom any longer. The Prefect opened the door and stepped outside. The armed guard on the opposite side of the door promptly ordered him inside. The Prefect quickly realized he'd just traded chains of iron for cords of silk. However he looked at it, he was just as much a captive as those two men back in the cell.

For the next few days he was questioned regularly by Polk and didn't trust anyone he'd come in contact with. Polk wanted something. Sullen was certain of it. Similarly, Polk didn't trust Sullen either. The ape had lied about how he'd arrived in the desert but Grazot's story told of long forgotten ruins. And the General's information came by way of torture. That was something Polk did trust. He'd considered torturing the Prefect but that could be accomplished anytime. For now, he had bigger fish to fry. There were integrity issues to deal with, traitors to expose, and intelligence to gather on these new weapons.

**Territorial Central Command **

Distant sounds of artillery fire ripped through the air. The building shook slightly as the rounds impacted. Sullen felt uneasy even though it was evident the explosions were far off. Distant shouts and sirens could be heard as well.

"That's all for now Corporal. You can wait outside until we're finished", Polk ordered.

The Corporal replied with a "Yes Sir", saluted briskly, and closed the door.

Polk turned to Sullen and said "Please sit down Prefect."

The Prefect sat just as a military officer walked in the room. The ape excused himself for the interruption and whispered something in the Major's ear.

"Saturate the area for five minutes and then send out a reconnaissance unit. It's probably a human scouting element. They've been probing us ever since the last assault. They're probably trying to get a feel for our current strength. Tell First Sergeant Prado to alert the other sentries. This could be a distraction to divert our attention." Polk ordered.

"Will do, Sir" the gorilla replied with a quick salute. He nodded at the Prefect as their eyes met and then left as quickly as he'd arrived.

Polk turned to Sullen and said "My apologies Prefect …as you can see we animals at the gate… anyway, I heard the news about your arm. Doctor Farrar says the cast can be removed in a week or two. I trust you're doing well? Is there anything you need?" Polk pushed a plate of fruit towards Sullen and motioned for him to grab something.

"Everything is fine, Major." Sullen replied as he rubbed the apple skin against his shirt. "Your watch dogs have seen to that. I can't even _relieve myself_ without hitting the boots of Corporal Kwela, out there, or one of the other dozen trained minions you have watching my every move."

"Yes, well I'm sure someone with your experience and authority can appreciate the need for caution and safety." Polk blurted out. The sentence sounded rehearsed and hollow.

"Listen Major, how long are we going to play this game? This is our fourth …little chat. I'm growing weary of these tired expressions and platitudes. It's an insult to listen to some second-rate field officer, who wants to play Supreme General, bore me with idiocy and delusions of grandeur." Sullen replied with antagonism.

If the affront bothered the chimp it wasn't showing. In truth, the insult rolled right off his back. Polk was a seasoned soldier. He'd been in battle countless times and a few insults thrown in his face weren't going to rattle his cage. He'd been the surviving, senior soldier under Voss's command. According to their military law it was not only his right to assume leadership, it was expected. Anything less would have been viewed as treason. However what did bother him was that some backward, tree dwelling monkey was lecturing him on leadership.

"In all honesty, Prefect Sullen, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with you. The truth is I have other problems I'm working through. You do fit in but I can deal with you any time or any way I please. You're not going anywhere and you might as well accept it. I'm not your enemy Prefect but I'm also not a friend. If you cooperate this will go much easier on you" Polk replied in confidence.

"You know nothing about me, Major." Sullen smugly replied. "That rifle you found me with is one of many. My countryapes will come looking for me and when they do…"

"Nice try, almost believable. You're quite the enigma, Prefect. How you and that rag-tag rabble of a Regiment, armed _with muskets_, made it through the desert, alive, amazes me."

The Major took note of the surprise on Sullen's face. He'd caught the ape off guard and in a boldfaced lie. "…Or what do you call them… umm, oh yes; _a Contingent_ I believe. Yes Prefect, I do some things about you and your cave dwelling society. In fact, I know you're lying to me about how you got here, as well." Polk paused again but this time for only a moment before adding "…Or so General Grazot told me."

"Since you seem to know everything what exactly do you want?" Sullen asked.

"I want you to fill in the gaps" Polk began to explain. "Where is this lost cave of artifacts that General Grazot spoke of? Where did those rifles come from and are there more? How long have you been consorting with the Coalition? What is so important that the leader of a nation, himself, would pursue one ape and a couple of filthy humans across half the planet? How do you know about the ancient capital? Why did you send General Narr here? It certainly could not have been to eradicate humans that were no threat to you"

Sullen paused in confusion. He did know the history of Washington. He had suspected that humans were still in the area and as far as he was concerned these humans weren't half the treat Polk was.

"Just where are my Generals?" Sullen asked.

"No more insults or colorful stories rolling around in that tiny head of yours?" Polk said with a mild laugh. "Yes, Prefect your Army arrived here some time ago. We armed them properly and sent them after the humans; just as you ordered." Polk paused and mockingly bowed.

"You see the humans reside somewhere near the ancient capital." The Major continued. "Like the cave you traveled through, it too is housed with unique weapons. Unfortunately, no ape or human can get near it. It somehow has a way of protecting itself."

Polk plucked a few grapes and popped them into his mouth and continued. "General Voss split your militia into three groups and sent them directly towards the city while our forces waited for the capital to strike. Once the cities defenses activated we flanked to the right. He hoped to somehow overwhelm the technology and slip through. It failed. Almost all of us were killed or lost or who knows what. There was bright flash and then nothing I just happen to be shielded behind a set of trees or I'd be dead too …And that's where you come in. You're going to take us back to where you came from, via the caves Grazot spoke of. Once we're armed were going to pay a visit to your homeland that I'm told is ripe with resources. With the combined forces of both our nations we can easily overwhelm the human settlements."

The thought of exterminating the humans was certainly to Sullen's liking, even though Sullen's views were dulling. But being enslaved by this barbarian was not exactly the utopia Sullen envisioned.

"I'm not taking you anywhere, you lunatic. You may possess superior weaponry and knowhow but out boarders are mountainous and a direct attack would be suicide." Sullen boldly lied. "And as for me, you can kill me right now if you think I'll lift a finger to help you."

Polk opened a drawer in his desk, pulled out a pistol and replied with "Fine."


	25. Chapter 25: Things Are Not As They Seem

**Territorial Central Command **

"Corporal Kwela." Polk shouted as he opened the door to his office.

The soldier walked in and came to attention. "Take this piece of trash out of here and toss him back into the detention center. Polk barked out "…And he's not to be fed either. Let's see how flippant he is after a few days without food or water."

Polk pushed Sullen out the door, glanced at the pistol, paused for a second, and mumbled. "I should have blown your head off, you tree climbing barbarian. I don't need your cooperation".

"Major?" Captain Lant asked as he knocked on the half open door.

"Come on in, Captain." Polk said. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir we have a staff meeting… The group has been waiting for nearly thirty minutes." Lant stated.

Polk cursed. He'd completely forgotten. His conversation with the Prefect had him too preoccupied. He gave a quick apology, blaming the issue entirely on Sullen. "Ok, let's go." He said as he fully opened the door and motioned for the Captain to exit first.

The group rose as Polk entered the area. He offered a hollow request for forgiveness and made a gesture for everyone to sit. The room was filled with various staff officers, most of them were Lieutenants and Captains. Some were even Senior NCOs and there were one or two Majors present, as well. Every officer from the rank of Lt Colonel and above had either been classified as dead or MIA. It was all a result of the last attack made on the old capital. Voss believed that leaders, led. That was especially true in combat. To effectively command an officer needed to be in the thick of it, right with the soldiers. It was an effective strategy but their nation had paid a high price for it.

"Ok, gentleapes let's start with Sergeant Grogan. What do we have on the weapons and items we took from the visiting General and the two Coalition Soldiers?" Polk said

Grogan rose, nodded to the group and opened up something that resembled a briefcase. He distributed some papers and then spoke; "Here are some of the statistics we've gathered on the rifles. You can look them over and get back to me with any questions. They're indeed ancient. The design is far beyond anything we've seen or are capable of developing. We're trying to reverse engineer some of the pieces but it will be years, if ever, before we fully understand their complete, functionality"

"And what of the humans, Sergeant Grogan? Are they capable of developing these weapons? While we're tinkering around in our labs they could be mass producing these things in their factories" a Major Ares asked.

"Sir, Major Sidon is more informed to speak to that than I am" Grogan replied. "But in the brief conversations I've had with him on the subject he highly doubts it."

"Where is Sidon?" Polk asked as he gazed around the room.

"Umm, he's ill Sir. I'm here representing the TID, today." The nervous Lieutenant answered.

"Do you have anything to add, Lieutenant…ahhh" Polk asked

"Ovidius, Sir. Uhh…ummmm…First Lieutenant Ovidius" The Lieutenant replied clearing his throat. Ovidius composed himself as best as he could. He had no idea what Sidon's thoughts were on the subject but he was so uneasy he rattled off the first intelligent lie he could think of. "Only this Sir; we have no evidence that humans used such weapons during our last attack. Other than the two Visitors no more of these devices…umm I mean uh, rifles have been discovered. Our scouts report that no new factories have been spotted either, nor have they come across any human patrols armed with the new weaponry."

Ovidius paused as realized he had no idea what the reconnaissance units had or had not reported. They were infantry, he was with intelligence. The room seemed a bit stuffy and his heart began to beat faster as he waited for Polk to shout down his lies and end his military career before it even started. But to his surprise, Grogan rode in to the rescue.

"The Lieutenant is correct, Sir. The rifles are too meticulous and refined. The engraving and features could only be the result of some type of long lost automation. Yes they look new but they could have been preserved." Grogan added.

"Ok fine." Polk said. "We're getting off subject. What else can you tell us?"

"That's about it on the rifles, Sir. As far as the computing devices go, they too are relics." Grogan continued. "We've been able to somewhat figure out how one of the devices operates but whatever is powering it drains quickly. The other requires an authorization code and believe it or not its voice activated. I can state for a fact that neither we nor the humans have the knowledge to build anything close to it."

"That's astonishing." One of the officers said in amazement. "The humans must have uncovered relics somewhere."

"Or worse, they may have found a way into the capital ruins" Grogan added.

He went on and filled the staff in on the information he'd gathered. The other officers gave similar reports regarding their specific areas of expertise. When they were through Polk stood, dismissed a majority of the group, but asked Lant and a Major Ulysses to remain behind.

"Captain Lant," Polk said turning to his executive office "…you're to begin on plans to recon through the desert. I want these underground ruins found and ransacked. You're to figure out the necessary logistics, a likely route there and back, the apes you'll need, and the time you think it will take to accomplish the mission."

Without pausing he turned to the gorilla Major and said "Major Ulysses I want you to work with Lant but I'd like your focus to be on the impact his absence would pose to our internal security. I don't like sitting here while the humans probe our boarders and spy on our defenses. We're at about seventy five percent strength and they know it. Regardless, I want to go on the offence and show them that any confrontation would far more costly to them than it would be to us. But I just as equally don't like the idea of getting our infantry slaughtered trying to prove my point. I don't want to attack unless we're ready. You have until our next staff meeting to prepare your plans"

_You have got to be kidding me_, Ulysses thought. _That gives me less than three days to plan_. But both officers gave a "Yes Sir" and kept their personal feelings locked inside.

Polk and Ulysses had been friends their entire careers. Polk was his senior by mere weeks. In fact, if Polk died or ended up MIA, Ulysses was next in line to assume command. Polk knew from the ape's demeanor that the Major was less than enthused with his new assignment.

"I know what you're thinking Ulysses but you have a good head for tactics; Better than most apes, including me. I trust your instincts and I know I'm asking a lot out of you both, in such a short period of time but if things don't change soon we're going to run out of food. When that happens we'll have a civil revolt on our hands."

**Somewhere near the old Maryland/Virginia boarder**

"Don't move or I swear you're dead" the human cried out. At least a dozen raggedy dressed uniformed male and female soldiers appeared from behind the trees and bushes.

_He sold us out_ Grazot mused. _That's why he had us gallivanting down this open trail. He wanted us found_. He looked a Narr and grit his teeth. By the expression on the Supreme General's face, the ape had obviously come to the same conclusion.

The human soldier didn't waste a second. He turned to the gorillas carrying March and pointed his weapon in their direction. "You!" he stated sharply "…put the stretcher down and step back. And you…" he said, this time to Ogden"…put the rifle and rucksack on the ground and get over there with them."

"Do it…" Robbins said as Narr's eyes met his.

He gave a couple of hand signals and three soldiers came forward. "Sergeant Mullins and Private Ross get the stretcher and move him by that tree. Corporal Landry, get their equipment and weapons and put it over there."

"Look, Lieutenant…" Robbins began to say.

"You just keep quiet. I'll get to you three in a minute" was the only reply he got back. "Come on, Landry move it."

"I'm tryin' LT but this thing is heavier than Coulter's evening slop" Landry grunted as he pulled Ogden's rucksack a couple of inches across the ground with great difficulty.

"Corporal Gentry, help Miss Landry with her luggage, please." The Lieutenant flippantly ordered.

"Roger, Sir!" Gentry replied with a grin.

Ogden showed slight signs of protest as the humans went for his sack. He noted Robbins shaking his head, signaling 'no'.

_If this human betrayed us, I'll kill him with my bare paws_ Ogden thought.

Once March, Robbins and Hayes were separated from the gorillas, the Lieutenant lightened up, but only slightly. He offered the gorillas some water which was customary when the two species met. It was designed as a gesture of trust and was an understood signal for a temporary cease fire. Meetings between ape and human were rare and they were usually set up in a secure, neutral area, not out in the middle of nowhere.

"It's ok, take the water." Robbins said to Narr

"What? Are you their mother or something? I said to shut up. And what's going on, here? I wasn't aware of any prisoner exchange or supply trade. And you three should know better…" the officer said looking at the men. "You never bring those smelly animals this close to our borders. Are you just stupid? I don't know whether to…"

"Give it a rest LT" Robbins said, raising his voice slightly. "I came this way on purpose, Sir. I know it's highly patrolled and still far enough out to keep us from compromising our security. I'm also aware that there's an advanced recon base somewhere in the area."

"Yeah?' the Lieutenant interrupted, tilting his head towards the apes. "And now, thanks to you, they know it's out here too."

Robbins ignored the statement and continued. "Look Sir, I wanted us found. And this isn't what you think. These apes want to talk with General St James."

"I can speak for myself. My name is Supreme General Narr, this is General Grazot and that's my adjutant, Supreme Troop Sergeant Ogden. We are not with the Territorial Militia and we want to discuss a possible alliance" The General stated

Most of the soldiers found the statement amusing. The Lieutenant did not. It was hot. He was tired and he was hungry. He bantered back and forth with Robbins and Narr for a minute or two until he noted something that rendered him speechless.

"Look, LT, I'm not sure I believe it either but I want to show you something." Robbins said as he reached into the olive-drab sack.

"Take it easy. I don't know what kind of stress they put you under but if you make a wrong move…" The Lieutenant said as he again signaled for a few more soldiers to come forward.

"Like I said, I'm not sure I believe them either but we can't ignore this" Robbins stated as the shiny objects in his hand glistened in the sunlight.

"Uhh…uh are those…?" he said looking at the hand full of Nuclear Cells. He glanced at the gorillas and then back at Robbins. "Who are you?"

"Robbins, I'm a Platoon Sergeant with the One-Seventy-Fifth. We were ambushed in the flat-lands after the last ape attack. Two squads from my platoon we sent to recon the area, in opposite directions. I took command of one and my Lieutenant took the other. Three of us were captured, the rest were killed in the fire fight. Believe it or not, these apes helped me escape." He replied.

"These two men here … they're the others from your squad?" the Lieutenant answered in a slight tone of suspicion.

"No, the others are dead." Robbins said curtly. "I don't know who these guys are. They escaped with me. They've obviously been in captivity for quite awhile ...Because they claim to be… um ...Well let's just say they're not quite living in the real world."

The group, including the men were bound and blind folded; all except for March, that it. The Major was blindfolded and secured to the stretcher. They walked for almost two hours until they came to the edge of a clearing. Their route had been choppy and sporadic. Only a few trusted men knew how to navigate through the death traps that lie everywhere.

The Lieutenant gave a few signals and answered the daily challenge and reply. Once he was cleared he sent a soldier ahead with instructions that he was coming forward with prisoners and an exact count of human and ape.

As soon as they entered the human encampment, Narr, Grazot, and Ogden were caged. Robbins, March and Hayes were sent forward for questioning.

***** Two hours later**

"Go and find Captain White. I want her here on the double" The human Colonel ordered. The soldier acknowledged the command and went on his way. "Take these three and see that they're cleaned, fed, and then confined. I want them guarded until I can make some sense of this. Oh and have one of the medics tend to that one's wounds." The second soldier nodded and ordered the three men out of the large tent. As soon as they were gone the Coalition Colonel turned to one his staff officers.

"What do you think, Rick?" Colonel Neal asked his intelligence officer.

Captain Richard Yuden sighed with a half smile and answered "I don't believe a word of it, David. Maybe they believe it, well except for that Robbins fellow, but it isn't true. How can it be? They're either nuts or they're lying. They are military though. Their vocalizations, phrases, knowledge of certain protocols, rank, and such seemed second nature."

"Perhaps they were tortured and brainwashed into believing it. March is in pretty bad shape and Voss has pulled this kind of stunt before." Neal replied.

"Yes Sir, but not like this. The others were suicide missions or designed to break down our command and control. This is different. …_Americans_… what does that even mean anymore? And what about their weapons?" Yuden paused, picked up the advanced M-16, and went on. "…And I don't mean this relic either. These 103s or whatever they called them, I've never seen anything like it. Look at the markings; _US Army_. Of course it's a moot point now. If these battery cells are legit, we're set. We'll finally have the access we need."

"There's this too, David." Yuden went on to say, "Some of their information seems consistent with what the ape prisoners have stated; Things about there being a second ape nation to the northwest, rumors of two rouge humans… Some of the apes claimed they'd fallen from the sky."

Yuden paused again as he held up one of the Nuclear Cells. "What do you think the Old-man will make of all this?"

Neal never answered due to the abrupt arrival of Captain Karen White. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" She asked coming to attention.

"At ease, Captain" Neal replied. "I want to show you something."

Colonel Neal held out the Nuclear Cells. She reacted in unbelief just as the others had, asking the same questions regarding their origin and legitimacy. Once the initial surprise had faded Neal ordered the technician to run some tests and verify their authenticity and capability. White was so taken by the objects that she scooped up the items and left the tent without so much as a; "Yes Sir" or salute.

Neal turned his attention back to Yuden and said, "Normally I wouldn't bother the General with something like this but theses so-called Nuclear Cells bring it to a whole new level. If I know St James, he's going to want facts and not guesses. I don't want to look like a fool in front of the old-man. I'm going to determine if these are indeed what they appear to be. As soon as I get the answer, I'll present it to the General"

"I can't blame you, Sir." Captain Yuden replied. "We've been searching for a power source for years that will reset the fail-safe devices. Now a box of them conveniently shows up out of nowhere, along with three apes that claim they want an alliance. But there is a faster way than having White's team take a week or more to run their tests. I could simply try and power up the reactor"

"Are you out of your mind, Rick? You know the risks involved in going that close to the city ruins. If you didn't time your entry into the tunnel just right you'll be dead." Neal stated.

"Yes Sir, but if they're what they appear to be, we win and we're in. It's game-over and a risk we have to take." Yuden replied in his defense.

Neal felt the pressures of command pushing against his nerves. His G-2 officer was extremely headstrong. "It's my risk, Captain, mine. And we're talking lives, here; human lives. The human race needs every soldier it can muster. The apes have choked off our food and raided our boarders ever since I was child. It's all we can do to hold them off. You'd have to take at least half a platoon, most of whom are specialists. You'll also need food and supplies we just can't afford to spare!"

Yuden recognized the anxiety in his commander's tone. But unlike Neal, the Captain wasn't the type to sit around and wait. And deep within he actually believed in the importance this mission would play if it succeeded. Because of that he felt that he couldn't back off.

"Please David" Yuden replied bluntly "Just consider the possibilities here. Let's say we wait on Karen and she verifies they're genuine…what then? You know St James will order us into the tunnel anyway. The solar generators take forever to charge. It will take her thirty six hours just to set up. I can be there and back in seventy two …roughly"

Yuden knew it would be more like ninety six hours but he'd embellished in an attempt to support his argument.

"Seventy two hours, huh?" Neal replied seeing through the understatement. "You work out your details and show me how you can accomplish your mission with one squad and minimal supplies and I may consider it. Oh and you have twenty four hours to do it in. But before you do that we need to question those gorillas and find out what their angle is. It'll be dark soon, let's get this over with"

***** The Detention Vehicle**

The apes were crowded while sitting in the large cart. It was a combination of wood and iron bars. Narr, Ogden, and Grazot were housed with two chimpanzees. One of the chimps was bandaged from a wound to its knee. The other had been luckier. He'd been capture without injury. There was some room to spread out but not very much.

"What's he doing?" the healthy ape whispered to his wounded colleague.

"He's still sitting there. Keep working" the second chimp whispered back.

The human guard they were referring to yawned and wiped the perspiration from his brow. He opened a canteen and took a sip of water. He rose from his chair and stretched a bit as he tried to sake off his fatigue. He waved off a young human boy who was approaching the vehicle out of curiosity.

"What are children doing in a military bivouac?" Narr asked one of the chimps.

"You're Visitors aren't you? I guess you didn't all die in the raid." The ape replied with a small chuckle. "This is not a front line unit. They're a recon and foraging encampment. They take their young on these missions; for exposure and experience. Gets 'em used to seeing a few apes up close and it exposes them to life in the field"

"We'll that would explain why he's armed" Narr said sitting back down. The gorilla let the first two sentences of chimp's statements roll around in his head. His entire Contingent had been slaughtered because of dishonorable scum like him.

Seconds later a light creak sounded just as the chimp stated, "Ok, I got it."

The ape had managed to loosen some of the older boards in floor. There was iron reinforcing the wood but the chimp had managed to loosen and bend it enough for them to slip through. Nightfall was moments away. That's when the chimp wanted to make his move.

"Ok, Laarz they'll be changing the guard shortly are you ready?" The ape asked

"I got it. You just make sure you kill him get the weapon and then get into those trees". The wounded soldier replied.

"What's going on?" Grazot asked.

"We're getting out of here and we're going to kill as many of these men and women as we can. I don't plan on rotting away in one of their dungeons. Besides they'll probably end up shooting me anyway." The chimp replied.

The ape dropped out of the bottom of the wagon and onto the ground just as the changing of the guard was taking place. He waited until they were both distracted and pounced on the two guards with lightning speed. He snapped the neck of the first and brought his forearm down on the second. The human soldier wheezed slightly as bones and cartilage broke and shattered. It wasn't a loud sound but it was noisy enough to curiously draw the attention of the young boy from his tent.

The child froze when his eyes met those of the chimp. _Its enormous,_ kept repeating itself in the boy's head. The chimp smiled and mumbled something about _easy pickings_.

The escaped ape prisoner quickly holstered the dead guard's rifle over his shoulder. Using all four appendages he darted for the young man almost like a dog. The child was still too afraid to move. A tear began to roll own his cheek and his heart beat so fast he started to lose consciousness. The chimp got closer and closer. He stood erect raised his arms and growled like a wild animal for effect.

_Rata-tat-tat-tat_ – the shots we fired quickly but also sounded off loud enough to alert the entire camp. The expression on the chimps face turned from a savage snarl to painful shock. He twitched and lost balance as one of the bullets shattered his spine and punched into his heart. Forward momentum carried him towards the boy but his loss of dexterity caused him to fall dead on the ground, right next to the child.

"Are you ok, boy" Narr said as he threw the weapon on the ground. The young child stood there with tears in eyes as soldiers appeared everywhere and ordered Narr to go to his knees and to put his paws behind his head.

"I don't believe what I just witnessed, Rick." Colonel Neal gasped out in confusion. "He saved that boy's life. He actually killed one of his own to save that child."

"They're not; _our own_." General Grazot said stepping out of the shadows and tossing the dead body of the second chimp at his feet.

Several startled human soldiers pointed their rifles at Grazot and Ogden. Officers and NCOs began issuing orders and directing subordinates. The damage to the detention wagon was reported to Captain Yuden.

"I don't know what we're going to do with them now, Sir'' Yuden stated to Neal. "That was the only place we had to house prisoners."

"Get 'em secured and bring them to the command tent. I want them questioned without delay. The whole world is turning upside down and I plan on getting to the bottom of it right now." The Colonel ordered.


	26. Chapter 26: The Truth Won't Set You Free

**Colonel Neal's Command Post – 0500 the following morning**

Narr, Grazot, and Ogden sat securely fastened to the steel chairs. March, Hayes, and Robbins entered the tent and were seated on opposite sides of the room. To the surprise of the apes the men were chained too. The human soldier inspected their cuffs. Once he was satisfied that they were secure, he informed the senior officers, saluted, and exited the tent. Neal's entire staff was present. There were also several armed guards stationed both inside and outside the tent.

"Ladies, Gentlemen…and um …Simians" Neal said as he struggled for just the right word to end the greeting. "Let me start with this", he began as he turned to the Gorillas. "I'm aware that you can probably break those restraints. If you do, these men and women standing against the walls have orders to shoot …and not in the knee either. …Am I clear?"

Narr glanced at his restraints, looked up, and nodded his head.

"Good" the Colonel replied. "Let's begin."

The questioning went on for hours. The gorillas were asked again and again about their home, how they got here, and why they were here. Their answers were consistent with similar interrogations that had taken place with the few captured survivors of his contingent. Neal's Staff compared notes, jotted down comments of their own, and cross referenced the information as needed.

"Umm…Narr is it?" the S-3, a Major Nate Childs, said. "How is it that you and these two survived the last attack while your entire Battalion…I'm sorry what did you call them…a Confederation …"

"It's called a _Contingent_, Major." Narr shot back. "And for the record it's _General_ Narr. I assume you humans respect a chain of command and military courtesy …even if it does involve a foreign _Confederation_?"

"Fair enough, General. We do indeed …If what you claim is true. And on a personal note, Sir, I want to thank you for saving the life of that boy. That certainly is a first and carries a lot of weight as far as I'm concerned. Now, can you please answer the question?" Childs replied in a very genuine tone.

"General Voss specifically asked me to remain back. He claimed it was for better command and control. Truth is, I was more useful to them alive than dead. Troop Sergeant, Ogden was just lucky. When that …whatever it was… struck at my soldiers, he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. …And General Grazot, as I'm sure you know, wasn't there." Narr responded.

"And you're more useful alive …because…" A female Captain asked. She seethed with distrust and this wasn't the first time she'd interrupted to play devil's advocate. The woman was missing half of her left arm from a battle long ago. She looked weathered and bitter. Her hatred for apes was apparent and she didn't seem to take any of what they'd said at face value.

Regardless of her attitude, Narr had a hard time accepting females in general. It didn't matter if they were ape, human, military, or civilian. In his mind the male's role was to fight, lead and provide. Females cared for the sick and young, filling more of a _supporting _role. Ogden and Grazot held a very similar opinion. It took great control for him answer calmly but he managed to reply in neutral tone.

"Information. I had information they wanted." Narr replied.

"What kind of information, General? This inquiry deals with facts, not vague generalizations" The woman went on to say.

Narr shook his head as his impatience swelled. Up until now he'd carefully restrained himself but his frustration combined with his discomfort was beginning to surface, "…My formula for fish stew, that's what." He snapped back. "What do you think they wanted, female? Your lands are barren; your water supply is almost nonexistent. My home has these in abundance. Is that specific enough you furless excuse for a soldier?"

The remark didn't even faze the woman. In fact, she found it kind of funny and laughed a bit. She'd been through much worse in her life and it wasn't the first time an ape had tossed insults at her. She kind of enjoyed the fact that she'd riled the beast up a bit. Her reaction didn't help Narr's disposition at all. The Supreme General put both paws on the table in front of him and flexed slightly. Every armed soldier in the tent either raised their weapon or clenched it at the ready.

"Whoa …" Narr said loudly as he began to rethink his actions, "Take it easy. I'm just trying to get comfortable. We've been in irons for hours. We do get hungry, you know, and we also have the same biological needs as any of you. Unless you want a mess to clean up I suggest we address those needs"

Neal spoke up and told the guards to stand down. He leaned to his staff as whispers, nods and head shakes ensued. After about a half minute or so the Battalion Commander stood and addressed the prisoners.

"Listen carefully" Neal stated as he looked over at March and his chained comrades. "I'm going to have Sergeant Houdek unshackle you." He turned to the apes and added "…All of you. We're going to take fifteen minutes to get some food in here and allow any biological needs that require addressing, to get it. Let me stress again, if you try anything stupid there are more than enough armed soldiers that would like nothing more than to just shoot you and get on with our mission."

"I get it, Colonel. I heard you the first time …and thank you" Narr said.

Most of the crowd left the room but Neal kept his staff behind. As soon as the area was clear he spoke up, "I don't know what to believe. If it were simply corroborating stories, I'd conclude it was a massive ruse. But the supporting evidence is too large to ignore. No ape would ever kill one of their own to save the life of a human. Not even Voss would incorporate that in any scheme he had brewing."

The Colonel rubbed his temples and went on, "However there is misinformation that this Captain and Major told us last night. But it's as if they absolutely believe it. When we reconvene, I want to get to the bottom of it. Rick, go grab that old book we have from the archived documents; the one on early American history. Bring it here, please."

***** Approximately fifteen minutes later**

The Colonel addressed the group once again and stressed to the prisoners that any attempts to escape would be met with an instant death.

"We've wasted enough time here." Neal went on to say. "I don't doubt your story General Narr. In fact, I think I believe it. Not all of your soldiers are dead. Some were captured and are in our detention camps. Believe it or not more than one of them backs up what you say. However, there isn't much evidence to support your associate, General Grazot. Oh a few did talk of rogue humans who burned a city but there are holes in the facts."

"What kind of holes?" Grazot yelled just as Yuden returned with the book.

"Not in your facts General, in theirs. It's easier to simply show you. …but first…" Neal stated.

He turned to Robbins and the two astronauts and continued, "Sergeant Robbins, just as General Narr's story contains credibility, yours does as well. In fact, there's a Lieutenant Evans outside who has already vouched for you. You're lucky; the One-Seventy-Fifth was operating to the east so we were able to get verification quickly"

As for you two gentlemen, I'd like to follow up on the conversation we had yesterday, "Captain Hayes, tell me again where you're from."

"A place called Michigan …originally" Hayes replied

"Your country, Captain. What country?" Neal asked not sure if Hayes was intentionally messing with him.

"The United States, Sir" Hayes answered bluntly as the few who understood it began to laugh.

"At ease!" Yuden shouted.

"Thank you Captain Yuden" Neal said addressing his G-2 officer "…Um how many States does this _United States_ have, Captain Hayes?"

"Forty Eight." Hayes rattled off without even thinking.

"Forty Eight?" Neal replied. "This is an archived relic. It's rare and it's pre …whatever… There were so many conflicts back then no one really knows pre-what. However, according to this book; _The First 375 Years of American History_, the United States had 52 states."

Without hesitation he went on … "But in all fairness Puerto Rico wasn't added to the Union until the old calendar date of 2036. Swains was added in 2101 strictly for a military advantage and to quell territorial claims that both New Zealand and Tokelau were making at the time. However, even if we exclude those islands, that still leaves a two state discrepancy"

"I know where you're going with this Colonel and I can explain" …_whether or not you'll believe it is a totally different story_, he thought as quickly as he finished the statement.

"By all means, Captain Hayes; explain" Neal said wondering if he was finally going to get the truth.

Hayes glanced at March and said, "Tom?"

"Go ahead Johnny, tell him…tell him everything". March replied.

The truth Neal got left him and half the room looking at Hayes like he was off his rocker. Others were snickering or shaking their heads, including Robbins. Hayes spoke of his home, of the three apes that had arrived there when he was young, of their mission, their chance emergence on this planet, then of their journey through Grazot's country and he ended with their arrival here.

General Grazot didn't know what to believe. If Hayes was lying, he wasn't following it at all. He'd had conversations with the two men for months but never once had talk of movement in time or of duplicate worlds ever come up. He'd just assumed that these humans here were their people. The ape was no scientist and even if he had been one, he still wouldn't have been able to comprehend one one-thousandth of what Hayes had just spoken to.

"Do you have anything you'd like to add, Major?" Neal asked March.

"I understand the magnitude of what was said but unfortunately I can't offer any concrete proof." March replied.

"indeed." Neal said "I don't know what you two were subjected to while in captivity but whatever it was, it was effective enough to cause you to totally believe it. What eludes is the _why_ in all of this."

General Grazot may have had difficulty following the recent statements but what Grazot did comprehend was; truth. These men first appeared in Arum; that was a fact. The Magistrate and Lord Prefect both fully believed that they'd arrived in some sort of flying apparatus. He'd personally witnessed the destruction of the city after their arrival. He'd seen evidence of the debris that had been recovered. Hayes was a chattering pain in his rear, but the man was anything but insane. In fact, Grazot found him to be the most brilliant individual he'd every crossed paths with.

"Colonel, if I may." Grazot blurted out.

Everyone paused at the gorilla's bellow. Neal sighed and reluctantly allowed Grazot to say whatever it was he had on his mind.

"Thank you." The ape General said. "The only holes here are in your perceived facts, Colonel Neal. We were not held prisoner for more than a day or two. I am who I claim to be and if you believe General Narr he can vouch for my validity. I've served under his command for almost half my life."

Grazot went on to fill the Colonel in on his role in the astronaut's travels. He spoke for several minutes and spoke convincingly. When he'd finished Neal's doubts surfaced yet again. For the first time, he asked himself if there could be truth in what he was hearing.

"Major March, I'm going to ask again. Is there anything, anything at all that you can say or produce that will support these …umm… astonishing claims?" Neal asked.

"Not unless you happen to have a spare probe and launch pad sitting around." March answered rather cynically. "Of course _Humpty Dumpty_ never returned when we launched it but it did relay enough data to confirm the barrier was out there."

"What did you just say?" the female Captain asked in shock.

She rose from her seat and walked over to March. She cocked her head a bit and asked him again to reiterate on the remarks he'd just stated.

The bewildered Major began to repeat his statement but the woman stopped him by asking something more direct. "This thing you claim that was launched, what did you call it?"

"A probe…" March replied.

"No" she stressed along with a few four letter words "What was that name you used; the name!"

"Humpty Dumpty?" March answered. "Its shape was similar to an egg so we…"

"Stop!" She said waving her hands to and fro "I want to ask you something specific. This probe…what did it carry. I mean specifically… can you tell me if there was anything unique?"

"Umm, well it had a camera and recorder; no weapons. It had computer software that could break images down into a digital signal and bounce them back." March said still feeling perplexed.

"Anything else … anything unusual or unique?", she went on to ask.

"Unusual? Ahhh…Well, where I come from …I mean where _we_ come from" March said pointing at Hayes and then at himself. "…it's customary to attach gifts or trinkets to bombs just before a raid. …Gifts that were given from the enemy Uhh…before they were the enemy; if that makes sense."

March paused and scratched his shoulder. "Either that or you write something on it. This wasn't really a bomb but tradition is tradition. Since this was going into space we inserted a canister with the symbols the apes had on their clothing. It was sealed inside."

"Where is Humpty now? What happened to him…it…" she asked.

March resisted the urge to reply with; _He had a great fall_. Instead he simply went on, still not certain why she'd taken such an interest in the subject. "The probe was a spy satellite so we didn't want objects in there that pointed back to us. It was supposed to scout the area so we could assess their strength and military capabilities. It went out, transmitted for a few hours then simply disappeared."

The female officer asked one or two more questions and then addressed Colonel Neal. "Sir, I have another mystery for you. I know of that probe. It crash landed just shy of our village when I was a child. Much of it was destroyed but what could be salvaged was. At the time it was simply thought to be one of the old satellites. It isn't common but they have decayed and fallen before."

"That proves nothing," Neal replied "They may already have been privy to that information. In fact Voss may have specifically put that nonsense into his head"

"Launch pads Sir; Digital signals? That village was a three hundred and fifty miles northeast of here, in old Canada. No one knew of it. I'd almost forgotten it myself" She answered in defense.

She shook her head a second with a confused look and then went on; "When I was about nine we were raided, by human bandits, not apes. Just about everyone was slaughtered. The place was looted and burned. It was one of many small settlements at the time. No one left and no one ever arrived. Everyone knew each other and everyone counted on each other. There is no way they should have any information about that object. Now here's what's odd; there was an old flag on the wreckage. My brother and I used to count the stars and name them; Kind of as a game. There were forty-eight starts, Sir. The word; _Humpty_ and the letters, _D-U-M, _were painted on pieces of the debris. The rest of the word was charred. There was a canister. One of the villagers had a piece of leather. It had been shielded when it crashed. This man just described it in detail."

**Territorial Central Command **

"...And you think it will work?" Polk asked.

"I'm pretty sure. I've been running different tests with the TID techs and I believe I have a pretty good grasp on how it operates. Here let me show you what I've found." Captain Lant said as he laid the field-pad flat on the desk.

Lant began pushing buttons and explaining his thoughts on the various purpose of each screen as it came into view. He went on to theorize that the device would be most helpful in determining where this underground lair was located.

"There's only one problem. The power supply drains rather quickly. We discovered it by accident but it seems to slowly recharge when exposed to direct daylight. We don't know if its heat, light, or some type of combination, but setting the gadget in bright sunlight, seems to do the trick. But you don't pay me to complain or make excuses so I've taken this information and plotted on a map. That way I can conserve the devices power and only reference it when necessary." Lant said.

"I want to show you this as well." Lant stated as he pushed a few buttons. The field-pad _beeped _as a map of North America displayed.

"Sir that blinking dot represents out location. Now watch this." Lant explained as he tapped another button.

The map became small, displaying a flat view of most of the planet. Tiny dots blinked in several spots on the display "What is it?" Polk asked in uncertainty.

"Territory Sir …land…or _Points of Interest_ I believe, according to the table of contents this device has anyway…that's water there." Lant clarified pointing to the blue pixels on the map.

"Water? It's enormous. We'd never run dry." Polk said in amazement not realizing it was the Atlantic Ocean he was talking about.

"Yes, I agree but look at the land masses and the blinking lights. There are probably hundreds of cities just like the old capital out there. That one there or possibly there is probably where Sullen and that General came from. It's the closest location just opposite the desert" Lant added.

The information was overwhelming. Polk's psyche rolled through the endless possibilities. After a few seconds his mind settled on the logical course of action. "In due time Captain. For now let's stick with finding those underground ruins. Once you're back we'll reassess."

"Sounds like a plan, Sir. And you're fine with rest of my proposal? You have no issues with the supplies, number of soldiers and the estimated timeline?" Lant asked.

"One squad of apes won't be missed." Polk answered with a wave of his hand. "Four months worth of supplies is a stretch but it's more like an investment. If you can secure and return with more of that equipment I think it's worth the food and water sacrifice. In other words, I approve. I'll have Sergeant Tagore write up a requisition and you can draw your supplies from the Quartermaster. Once that's done you can leave at your convenience. I'm meeting with Ulysses later to discuss his plan. His wife cooks that root and potato stew. I force it down every time I eat with them."

Lant smiled and said "Ok Sir, good day. I'll get started on this immediately."

**Human Detention Facility – Section 14 – level 1**

Prefect Sullen hadn't had a thing to eat in two days. That wasn't the worse of it. His head was pounding due to a lack of water. Another twenty-four hours and he'd probably die. He'd been intentionally starved and intentionally caged with Coalition soldiers. Polk had immediately picked up on the Prefects hatred of men, so naturally, he made sure Sullen was housed with at least two or three of them at any one time. The ape was chained to a wall of the cell while the men were free to roam the small area at their leisure.

The sound of keys going into a lock _clacked_ as the internal latches tumbled into place. The creaky door opened and a gorilla stepped in with some crusty bread, old roots and a small tin of water.

It had taken a day but the men in the cell finally caught on to what was happening. Under normal circumstances they were lucky to be fed once a day, if even that. Since Sullen's arrival they'd been getting food at least twice a day. The ape was being starved and they were being fed. It was designed to taunt and harass the ape.

"Here …enjoy." The gorilla said setting the tray down and then closing the door.

The two men inside each grabbed a root and chewed in delight. Sullen moaned a bit as he focused on the small cup of water just a pace away.

"Oh cripes!" the human Private said taking slight pity on the Prefect. "…do ya have to sit there gawk at me like that?"

They'd been warned that if they shared their meals with the ape, they'd live while they watched their comrade die.

"Just shut up and eat, Josh. You want that guard to come back in here?" the other man spoke up. "Turn around if you don't like it."

"What do ya think he did, Corporal?" the Private asked. He'd asked Sullen the same question but the Prefect never replied.

"What part of, Shut-up, don't you get, Berry?" The Corporal whispered back with a tight lipped grunt. "I don't care what he did. What I do care about is what they're going to do with us."

"They're going to kill us Corporal." The young Private stated bluntly, "That's what they do…kill humans. The fact that we popped at least five of them in that fire fight will probably ensure it. As soon as they have what they want, we're dead Corporal and you know it."

Corporal Stewart did know it. In fact, he'd come to that conclusion long before Private Joshua Berry had. His will to live and keeping Berry's spirits high had been the only thing that was keeping him going. The Private's revelation sunk deep in his stomach. Stewart's intuition told him death was anywhere from hours to days away. He sat for a second thinking and then whispered again. "Feed him Josh. What's it matter anyway? But you feed him so if they find out I'll be the one they shoot."

Berry protested but reluctantly gave in when he noted the look on Stewart's face. He'd seen that look before. He also recognized the colorful curse words instructing him to do as he was told. "Ok, ok" he whispered back. "I get it. You listen at the door while I feed him."

Sullen coughed as his dry tongue and throat were streaked with water. The human Private put his hand over the apes mouth and said "Quite down or you'll get us all killed." He fed Sullen what was left of the dried roots and stale bread. When he was done he wiped the Prefect's mouth with his filthy sleeve.

"Relax will ya?" Josh said looking at the apes anxious expression, "You'd think I was diseased or something. I'm just blotting out the evidence."

It took twenty minutes for the Prefect to feel relatively normal. His headache subsided but the small amount of food he'd received just made him hungrier. He could live with that. What surprised him was the man's compassion. If reversed, he would have let the boy starve. Their kindness wasn't enough to make him want to kiss the animals but it did reinforce his newly concluded perspective. If the human tribe in this area was a threat they were second nature to that tin-General, thug, Polk and his lot.

"Gentlemen …thank you." Sullen stated quietly.

"So you do speak" Corporal Stewart replied.

"Time is short so I'll be brief" Sullen went on to say. "You're right human, they will kill you. I would in their place …without hesitation. In fact, where I come from you'd have been shot on sight."

"Well isn't that nice, Pops…I love you too" Stewart replied poking fun at the grey fur on Sullen's brow. "And just so we're clear where I come from we'd shoot you too…on sight!" Stewart tightened his face and added, "That's a fine way to show your appreciation."

"I think what you should focus on is the phrase; _if I were in their place_, boy. …I am not, as you can see" Sullen relied. "I don't plan to die in this rat hole."

"Oh yeah and just how …" Stewart began to say.

The guard outside beat his fist violently on the door and shouted something about coming in to choke the lot of them, if they didn't pipe down.

The cell was quiet for about sixty seconds when Sullen motioned with his paw for the two men to come closer. "I think I might know how we can get out of here." He whispered ever so softly.


	27. Chapter 27: A Ray Of Hope

**Human Detention Facility – Section 14 – level 1**

Prefect Sullen pulled back on the chains as hard as he could. The gorilla was powerful while the Prefect was still weak from hunger. He did however have leverage on his side as he pulled back hard to choke the life out of the ape. That combined with the fact that Sullen had clubbed the ape with his cast was proving to be sufficient. The ape twitched for a few brief seconds and eventually died.

On the opposite side of the room Private Berry's heart was beating so hard he thought it was going to break through his chest. He dropped the bloody remains of Corporal Stewart and sadly reported that his friend was dead; A fact that didn't need reporting. It was clearly evident.

The two men and Sullen had managed to pull the chains free from the old deteriorating concrete wall. Once he was free, Sullen hid himself in behind the door while Corporal Stewart stood at the opposite end and yelled. The noise drew the guard's attention immediately. As soon as the ape's head was in view, Sullen brought his forearm around and caught the soldier square on the snout. Without hesitation, he'd leapt on the gorilla and simultaneously threw the chains around his neck. What neither the Prefect nor humans were expecting was for the guard to accidently discharge his weapon in the scuffle. He'd fired, purely by reflex, hitting the Corporal at point-blank range. Stewart died instantly.

"Take his pistol, boy and hand me the rifle…hurry we don't have much time" Sullen said as he removed the clothes from the gorilla. _Thank the great ape their Contingents are not strictly gorillas_, he thought as he dressed himself in the ape's uniform. _What a mess,_ he thought looking at Stewart's remains all over the cell.

The uniform was large and hung unevenly but it would have to do. Sullen grabbed the weapon pushed the Private in the room and said "Trust me" as he closed the door. His peripheral vision picked up on something as he stepped into the corridor. Sullen's mind raced and he didn't know where it came from but he shouted out the first comment he could think of.

"And next time I'll shoot you for real" The Prefect stated as beads of sweat formed on his head.

"Praax, are you insane? …discharging your weapon like that…" the somewhat distant voice shouted.

The area was dimly lit but Sullen turned to see two chimps coming his way. They looked more surprised than anything. As they approached, one took note that the gorilla was missing and suspiciously asked Sullen who he was and how he'd gotten in. Sullen quickly tried to improvise before they figured it out.

"He's fine …he's here…there was an accident…wait let me just show you." Sullen replied in a loud voice. The Prefect fumbled with the keys and pushed the door open hoping that the human soldier heard the advanced warning. The door swung open and the nervous Private stood there with the pistol pointed right at Sullen.

"Here, look for yourselves" Sullen said. "Just a misunderstanding."

"What kind of nonsense is this? Who are you?" One of them demanded.

As soon as the two chimps looked into the room, Sullen raised his weapon. He ordered the soldiers to strip and instructed Berry to take their weapons and equipment and toss it in the hall. Sullen grabbed the uniforms, changed the bulky blouse he was wearing, and locked the soldiers in the room. He told them that if they shouted or made trouble he'd kill them.

"Here put it on and try and cover your face." The Prefect said tossing the second uniform at the man.

Berry began to question the request but did as he was told when Sullen explained it would be easier for him to blend in this way than to scurry through in his smelly blood soaked rags.

"Man…poor Stewart. He …he didn't deserve that. What do we do now?" Berry stated panting between words. The young mans heart was still beating like a jackhammer. He was seventeen years old, skinny as a rail, and scared beyond belief.

"It's ok boy. Unfortunately in war unexpected events happen. We've come this far. It's ok …you'll be ok, do you hear me?" Sullen said trying his best to reassure the man. _…If Ndola could see me now…_ He thought. _…consoling and allying with animals, he'd never believe it. Not in a hundred years. _

Berry exhaled noisily and gave a half-hearted bob of the head as he repeated his last question; "What do we do now?"

"Good question. We try and make it out of here. Unless you have a better idea" Sullen claimed as he tried to think of way to get through his situation alive.

"Actually I just thought of something." Berry replied as an idea formed. "There are only two guards at every entry and exit. The only soldiers stationed at a particular cell are for select prisoners and that's rare; especially since they took such a pounding in the last skirmish. They don't have the _manpower_…um I mean…well you get it. Anyway, you and I now have keys. The cells have prisoners; human prisoners. The monkeys have guns…are you getting the picture?"

"We let the prisoners out, overtake the guards, arm the animals, and let them run amuck." Sullen said aloud as he stepped through his thoughts. "That might work. Ok, this section is clear of guards, let's open the cells and get this going…Just do me one favor?"

"What's that?" Berry asked.

"Make sure you tell them to shoot the right …_monkeys_" Sullen said sternly. "I don't want an accidental musket-ball to find its way into my skull."

"Musket-ball; you sure have an odd sense of humor, but no worries, I'll let them know you're one of the tame monkeys. …my new pet" Berry added with a smirk.

The man was smiling but also contemplated shooting the ape himself. He hadn't forgotten the Prefects words, back in the cell. Words about _killing him_ _without hesitation_, _if the situation were reversed_. Apes were un-honorable liars as far as he knew. That was common knowledge too. Besides, Berry hadn't dismissed the idea that this might be one big rouse designed to get the information they wanted in a more subtle way. Private Josh Berry and Corporal Matthew Stewart were with the Ninety-Third Combat Engineers. They were one of the few soldiers who knew how to navigate through the eastern defenses. That had been the only thing keeping them alive.

**Territorial Central Command**

The winded soldier opened the door to Polk's office without even knocking. He darted in apologized for the unprofessional entrance and began to explain that a small riot was in progress.

"They're moving through the city and shooting at anything that moves. They have the element of surprise …or they did anyhow… and they've managed to do a lot of damage. Somehow several of the prisoners broke out of their cells. They're armed and hitting targets of opportunity; probably to try and draw as many soldiers away from them as possible. They appear to be moving in this direction," The ape stated as he slid his finger across the city map on Polk's wall.

Polk cussed loudly almost in unbelief. He began to ask how it happened but realized the irrelevance of the question and changed in his thoughts in mid sentence. "…What targets of opportunity?"

"The food stores on the western side of the city; one was hit with a grenade. It's burning. They're also targeting civilians. Crews are working on the situation but there's more. At least one ape was spotted with them, an orangutan; the imprisoned Visitor most likely. I'll never understand their love for humans." The soldier said.

Polk shouted, cussing once more. "Sullen! How in the world? … I swear he's dead as soon as I find him. I want him tracked but do not kill him unless forced to do so." he spewed out. "Look, get back there and find out if anyone has assumed command. If they haven't, you're to do it. Eventually they'll run dry on ammunition. After that they'll try and make it to the hills and then the Flat Lands. You are to gather as many soldiers as you can muster and force them to move towards the city limits. Keep yourselves between them and our vital installations. Our research labs are in that area."

Major Polk opened a closet door and pulled out some military web-gear. He then turned to the soldier as he strapped the pieces together, "I'm going to contact our artillery batteries and have them pre-target select points in the city outskirts. As soon as they make their break I'll bring a wall of molten steel down on top of them and end this once and for all. Go …do as I said."

"Yes Sir" the ape replied. He went in one direction while Polk headed in the other.

**The Human Settlement of Rockwell – Somewhere in Old West Virginia **

Colonel Neal and Captain Yuden walked into the old building. It seemed odd to Neal. He'd lived and spent most of his life in the outdoors, even in some of the cold winter months. To suddenly be inside, confined by walls and rooms seemed foreign to the man; almost suffocating.

Rockwell was one of three permanent human settlements that existed. It was one of the few places left where vegetation and water were mildly present. There was even game in the area. It also held a strategic value. Minerals and metals had been mined or salvaged from this region. There were huge factories in the city going day and night. It was a major source of both food and supplies and was heavily guarded. It was a large settlement and housed over eight hundred people, including the military. The city was far enough from the apes and provided some stability from the normal chaos.

Word had spread about the Nuclear Cells, the apes, and there were even some jokes going around about the two crazy astronauts from the clouds. Captain White's analysis and tests on the Cells had confirmed that they were legit. That news was the biggest rumor of them all. As soon as General St. James heard the gossip, he'd sent for Neal and his entire Battalion. A full strength combat Regiment had been sent forward in its place. Search and Destroy elements had been deployed even farther. Artillery support was also on their way but that was a bigger task. St. James wasn't messing around.

Neal and Yuden entered the room where March, Hayes and their fellow gorillas sat under heavy guard. It was evident from the looks on the guard's faces that they carried one emotion when it came to simians; hatred. As they looked at the three apes, it was almost as if they were goading the gorillas into making a move. …Any excuse, whatsoever, just so they could kill them. As soon as the two officers entered they hastily assumed a more neutral posture.

Grazot shook his head as he listened to Hayes snoring in the corner. _How ironic,_ he thought to himself, _these two arrive in our most northern territory and I not only help them get out but get myself put on the opposite side of the development, in the process. Now I'm the chained misfit and they're just two humans among many_. He laughed deep inside as looked at all the men. Besides March and Hayes there were at least twelve to fifteen armed guards. _That's five guards per ape_, he went on to ponder. He'd spent his whole life thinking there were only a dozen humans in existence. Heck, in reality, he hadn't thought much about man at all. To him they'd been no different than a bird, a dog, or a cow; just one of many created animals. He felt a bit of self-imposed shame at letting the Ndola's in life dupe him so easily. "Zig should be here", he mumbled as his thoughts drifted to his old friend.

"He'd have probably gotten himself shot fifteen times by now." General Narr stated picking up on Grazot's words. "I still can't believe the Magistrate killed the ape."

Grazot grunted and made a few censored comments regarding his thoughts on the situation. "… and he claimed that humans were the savages."

"Well I'm beginning to see that humans and apes have more in common than simply having the ability to speak." Narr replied.

Minutes later the door opened and several more people arrived. They began setting up a table and putting down chairs.

"Not another one of these blasted inquires." Ogden whispered. "Why don't they just release us or kill us? I don't know if I can sit through another one of these things"

"Patience, Troop Sergeant," Narr responded. "Believe me, if they didn't think there was credibility to our story, they would have shot or hung us long ago. And I have a feeling we're about to finalize this one and for all"

The Gorilla's had been questioned extensively about the Territorial Capital, the ape military presence, and their current defenses. They hadn't hesitated to cooperate. Narr wanted Polk just a dead as these humans did. Their information had been helpful. It quelled the rumors that Voss was MIA and that a subordinate ape was now in command. The facts were still not enough to gain total trust. That would probably never fully happen.

Once the equipment was in place, one of the soldiers called the room to attention. It was so loud that Hayes almost fell off the bench he was napping on. A rough looking older man, entered the room, accompanied by two others. His eyes immediately met Narr's. He motioned for the guards to bring him forward and seat him just opposite the table. St James introduced himself and handed Narr a canteen of water. Neal had filled the ape in on their customs prior to their departure. Narr picked up the canteen and took a drink. He handed it back and watched St James take a swallow.

"You're the _Five-Star_ among your people? I want to thank you for the intelligence update. It was most helpful. I was also informed about that incident with that boy. Oddest thing I ever heard." St James said. He didn't care that he'd referred to Narr and his nation as _people_. St. James was direct and to the point. He also wanted more than just intelligence and information. He wanted answers and if he wasn't happy with them, these clever spies were going to die before the day was out.

"Five-Star?" Narr asked not following the implication.

St James explained the meaning and Narr concurred as he went on to explain that his societal hierarchy was not military. "We're run by a council that gets appointed by land owning apes. The military has representation, through a Magistrate, but it's our science ministry that carries most of the weight" He explained.

"Land owners…Right" St James stated as if he could have cared less. "Ever seen this before?" The General said as he tossed a Nuclear Cell on the table. He studied the ape's reaction with great suspicion.

"Only recently…I mean …umm" Narr stated not sure where St. James was headed.

"You" He said pointing at Hayes. "Come here".

Hayes walked forward and sat as St James motioned for him to take the chair next to Narr. As Hayes took his seat, St James whispered to one of the other officers. The man mumbled a quick _Yes Sir_ and got up and left the room.

St James stared at Hayes for a second without saying a word.

_What is this guy's problem?_ Hayes thought. _Friggin Generals, Six hundred years later and they haven't changed a bit._

"Sir?" The Captain asked but St James just held up a finger, signaling for Hayes to be patient. To kill some time, he pushed the canteen towards the two and offered them more water.

The man was just as baffled as Narr as he picked up the canteen and drank. Moments later the male officer returned with a female Captain. At least that was what the rank on her chest resembled, Hayes noted. She walked in and sat across from the two.

"Have you ever seen this before?" The General asked again, this time looking at Hayes.

Hayes answered and began to reiterate his adventures in the old warehouse they'd stumbled across. He'd told the story several times already. Telling it once more didn't bother him. St James cut him off and handed him a piece of paper.

"Tell me about this." He said as he slid the paper across the table.

Hayes studied it half heartedly. _What now?_, He said to himself. _Why am I always the go-to guy with this crap?_

It was an old schematic of advanced networked equipment. It remained Hayes of what he'd seen on the island. The only difference is that this one was enormous and more complex. It looked to be a piece from a much larger diagram. Hayes folded a section back and noticed the faded words; _US Defense Department_ in the corner.

"No United States, huh" he said glancing over at Neal.

"Your thoughts Captain, not your opinions. Forget the Colonel" St James stated tapping his finger on the desk.

"Looks like a computerized generator or electric power grid … You tell me." Hayes said shrugging his shoulders.

"They're design Specs, Captain. Look at the relays…here. Look at the method and equations …here. …Just tell me what it means" The female officer said sliding paper back a Hayes.

Hayes picked up the paper again and ran his fingers across it. After a minute or two, he laid it down and said, "It isn't electric, it's nuclear …a reactor of some kind."

"That's it; A reactor? …of some kind? This is a waste of time" St James replied.

"Look, General is it?" Hayes stated. "What is all of this? As happy as I am to be with my own kind again, I'm getting sick of having my chain jerked in fifteen different directions. I've been questioned and re-questioned for two days. Why don't you, and your girlfriend here, just explain what the _frock_ do you want?" Hayes stated, except he didn't say _frock_. Like Ogden he'd had his fill of it. He'd even endured quite a bit of taunting during his brief visit to the city. He and March had gone through hours of questions on the relics they carried as well as the gold and silver found on them. His neck was kinked from sleeping in the corner of a hot room and his patience was running dry.

One of the offices, a Lieutenant Colonel, reprehended Hayes, reminding him that he was talking to a _Superior_. The man added something about possibly believing the rumors of his being a lunatic.

Hayes just stared at the man and sarcastically replied "What are you going to do? Chain me and put me in a cell?"

"Explain it Jon." The somewhat stern voice in the far corner said. "Settle yourself down Captain and explain it to the General."

Hayes glanced over his shoulder at March; his friend, colleague, and _immediate_ _superior_.

"Do it Jonny. That's an order." March added.

Hayes shrugged again and rubbed his hands through his face and hair. "Fine" the man answered. "Give it here" he added reaching for the paper.

Hayes picked up the document a third time and began to explain what he could. "Figure 6 isthe schematic diagram of an atom. The protons and neutrons are located in the center, and the electrons orbit the nucleus. The electrons are located here …in this picture of the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus. These lines here represent their oval orbits. This where it begins at the basic level"

He took in a breath, looked up and said. "Ya got that?"

"Keep going." The female said pointing back down at the paper.

Hayes exhaled and continued. "Before I get to the _what_, you all need to understand the _why_; Nuclear energy may be defined as the energy found within an atomic nucleus, sometimes referred to as the nuclear binding energy. They represent a helium nucleus here. The mass of its parts is less than the mass of the nucleus itself. Using Einstein's equation E = mc2 … You do know who he was right Colonel Klink?"

"Klink?" The Lieutenant Colonel said as he looked at Hayes in confusion. Before anything came of the comment March spoke up again ordering Hayes to stick to the subject and skip the editorial remarks.

"Ok, E = mc2, where C is the speed of light we can see that a tiny bit of mass can make an enormous amount of energy." Hayes continued.

He laid the diagram down, spun it around so that it faced the General and the other as he went on. "This small box here represents a chamber where a mini nuclear reaction occurs. An unstable nucleus will become more stable by emitting particles and rearranging the neutrons and protons into more stable nuclei. As I'm sure everyone in the room knows that like charges repel. So I'm sure you're asking yourselves, _then how can positively charged protons exist together in a nucleus?_"

"Stop messing around Captain and stick to the subject." The female Captain interrupted in an irritated tone.

He paused for a second and then in a mild, but still mocking, pitch he stated, "Because there is a force called _the strong force_ that holds protons and neutrons together at very small distances. The electrons are _bound_ to the nucleus by an electric charge because the unlike positive and negative charges of the protons and electrons, respectively, attract. Now, this energy is broken down even further …right here …and that information escapes me but these symbols here and here represent the sub-atomic; If that even exists. The force is used against itself and cycled here in these conduits. It looks like it loops and repeats and repeats gaining a constant speed and feeding into these things over here. I have to be honest; I'm lost as to what happens here…and here." The man said pointing to another set of equations and boxes on the drawing.

"But my guess is that it resembles some kind of Fusion and joins a number of the nuclei together. It's actually quite ingenious. …An almost endless power supply really. I'd go so far as to say impossible. Nice theory, if you can account for heat, waste, and radiation levels so high they'd vaporize half of Texas; it's power is something similar to nuclear fission that the sun's energy produces, but there's a lot more to it than I just explained. How is respective stability and force balance managed? What about a possible chain reaction? How does it handle primary supremacy consistency within the nuclei? And like I said earlier there's the heat. That high of a temperature could never be controlled. If you miscalculated you'd be in a world of hurt. This thing is beyond even Star Trek" He said in conclusion.

St James turned to Captain White. The expression on her face answered his question before he even asked it. The man may indeed be a lunatic but he understood enough for the mission he was about to embark.

"I've heard enough." St James stated. "I'm not going to pretend I understand even two words of what you just explained, but if Karen's convinced then I am too. Release their restraints and bring in some food."

***** Later that Day**

The astronauts were briefed and given information on the particulars of St. James's unusual request; if you wanted to call it that. Like or not they'd volunteered. According to the briefing, there was a tunnel entrance about three miles from the old capital. Access to it was tricky at best. Inside was a passage that led deep into the ground. It ended at a pseudo-mechanized area where the reactor equipment sat.

The vicinity had been referred to as the CDC, for Civil Defense Center. It tied in with something called the ODN _(*Orbital Defense Net)_. The men had heard about that from the hologram they'd seen in the device Sullen revealed in Old Buffalo.

From the information available the area had been ransacked over the decades. It had been highly compromised during its last days as an inhabited city. The CDC power links lie ruptured due to a massive air barrage. Once that happened the fail-safe protocols were initiated. The system locked itself down. Anything that moved within two to three miles of the city was targeted and destroyed. For centuries no one had been able to get near it. Any who tried were instantly vaporized; no matter what the number. The cities old inhabitants suffered grueling deaths as the defensive sensors tagged them as a threat. Any man, woman, child, or animal that escaped the bombardment were eradicated from within.

With the discovery of the Nuclear Cells, things were now different. If the reactor could be stabilized and the conduits repaired, the fail-safe could be powered down and the CDC interfaces could reinitialize, granting access to the defense computers. Once that happened every ape city on the planet could be targeted. The city and technology inside would also be ripe for the picking. It was like winning the lottery.

"Why the change in attitude, Jonny?" March asked.

"There's nothing like a hot meal and a good bath." Hayes replied slapping his superior on the shoulder. "…Even if the bath was a rather cold one, at that. I can't remember the last time we took one. Had to be just before we left those tunnels and hit the desert."

"Yeah probably" March replied as he plopped himself in the nearest chair and rubbed his forehead.

Hayes took note of his friend for the first time in quite awhile. His neck was red with pink and dull purple mixed in from the knife he'd used to cauterize the musket wound. He was walking with a slight limp as well. Probably from the wound to his leg and his face and hands were still scratched and scabbed. His hair was long, shabby and looked grayer. They both had recently bathed and shaved but March hadn't cut his hair and it was getting long. He looked pale and was sweating.

"You ok Boss? You look like hell." Hayes stated without really thinking about what he'd just said.

"Old age, _Mon_ _Cap-e-tain_" March replied in a poor French accent. "Just a headache and a little tired. It'll pass. Looks like we've been drafted…again. We might be stuck here for a long time"

There was a momentary pause and then March spoke up again with a laugh. "This is the part where that geek-o-matic brain of your goes into action and tells me you've rebuilt _The Dreadnaught_ out of old paperclips and toothpicks."

"And what if I told I think there was a shot?" Hayes said.

"A shot at what? Did you just find a few paperclips?" March asked not noticing the serious look on his friend's face.

"A shot at getting us into space again. About possibly mapping a way home." Hayes stated plainly.

"Ok, I'll bite. What's on your mind? And please don't explain the workings of the atom to me." March said sighing a little and rubbing his temples. "Is it hot in here to you?"

Hayes spoke of the probe and explained that it used the same navigation protocols as _The Dreadnaught_. He claimed that both landed on the same planet but in different times. Once _Humpty Dumpty_ had hit the barrier it was uncertain as to what caused it to land a good thirty years in the past, but one thing was certain; their trajectory, navigational paths and routs of entry were key.

Hayes stated that he would have never brought it up but during their discussion of Washington's defenses he'd asked if anything had even gotten through, around, or under the city. Supposedly, a hundred or so years ago an object had. Its origin was unknown but it had descended from the sky like a missile. That was about all St James and his staff had told him. Hayes however had looked into some of the old logs that were kept.

"What's ironic Tom," Hayes said "… is that something …someone that is, came out of the object. The only problem was that it was cut down once outside the thing's protection. It's here in the old logs."

"You think it was some kind of ship or escape pod? Even if it was ship and even if we did find a way into it, we'd need _Dreadnaught's_ flight logs and the CIS tracking data. That stuff is long gone." March replied.

"It's not long gone, Sir. I transferred it to the field-pad when I was plotting our escape from that city we crashed into." Hayes said with a smile.

Hayes anticipated the next reply and spoke up "…and yes and it's in the city we just left, right?" Well, what about the command backup? That isn't in that city and that does have the log and the tracking info because I backed it all up when we were on the island." The Captain said again tapping his forefinger against his skull.

"That's hope, Jonny but it's a long shot; a very long shot. Look, I'm really tired and need to sit down for a bit" March answered.

His face looked even paler than before to Hayes. "You get some rest; I'm going to see if I can find a medic or something."


	28. Chapter 28: Washington DC, Part 1

**Friday, March 20, 1964, Time: 1536 – Tashkent, USSR**

The internal communications system crackled through the pilot's headset. "Heads up, Captain, radar confirms six bogies approaching at mach two. They're coming in from our three o'clock. You should be picking them up any second. ETA …four will be here in two minutes. The others are about six minutes out and closing fast."

"Roger. I see them too, _Dino_." The pilot replied to, Lieutenant Dean Castellan, his navigator. "Strap yourself in, buddy; it's going to get bumpy in here real fast. No need for radio silence now that they know we're here. I'm going to patch into the rest of the squadron"

Captain Johnson flipped a switch attached to his headgear. A quick rush of static filled the air. "This is Alpha-One. We've got company. They'll be here any minute. Bravo-two, three, and four, you are to proceed to target. Alpha-three, you're with them as well. Bravo-two radio Command and fill them in on our status. Alpha-two is coming with me. We're going to break formation and intercept those MiGs before they get here."

The other aircraft acknowledged. Captain Mark Johnson and Lieutenant Tom March veered off, kicked in their afterburners, and headed towards the MiGs. Johnson fired a salvo of ammunition as an enemy aircraft came into sight. The MiG broke hard right and narrowly avoided the projectiles.

"They're not taking the bait, Mark." March said. "Two of them are still heading towards the squadron.

"You need to try and intercept, ASAP. It's still two against four but the mission is too important to chance it." Johnson replied as he jerked the controls and broke to his left. "If they don't make it to their target a lot of good men on the ground are going to die."

The second MiG shot past March, intentionally ignoring him, and headed directly for Johnson's craft.

"Mark!" March shouted through his headset "You've got company and he's attempting to hook so that your belly is exposed. He's going to try and hit you as you turn into the first."

Johnson noted the fact but it was too late. "Mark, do you hear me? You've been painted" was the last thing to shoot through Johnson's headgear. The events that happened next passed so quickly, March hardly had time to take it in. The second MiG shot at the US, M-40 Fighter-Bomber just as March had warned. Rounds tore into the plane, punching holes into the metal. Johnson's jet began to smoke, spit out fluid, and finally went into a dive. As the MiG swung around to fire again, it crossed paths with March.

"Someone up there is smiling down on me, Alan." March said to his Navigator. "He just turned right into us and I've got missile-lock". The instrument panel illuminated as the faint tone rang through their headsets. March hit the button with his thumb. The rocket engaged. In the blink of an eye the MiG broke apart in a burst of flames. But it was a short victory celebration. Johnson's craft was still heading straight for the deck. "Alpha-One…Eject, eject" March yelled. _Why isn't he answering?_, the Lieutenant thought. He pondered the idea that they were dead as he felt the stinging pain of hot metal ripping into his body. The first MiG had him dead to rights. He'd completely forgotten about it and was about to pay the price. The cockpit burst into flames and he watched as his friend smashed into the ground.

Several apes rushed the wreckage, ripping at the metal like it was paper. They grabbed at the men inside. March felt his hands and arms get heavy as he tried and tried to eject. They wouldn't move. His head and chest felt as if they were on fire. Suddenly one of the creatures looked up locking its eyes with his. It bound into the air, landed on the nose of his craft, and ripped off the Plexiglas casing. The ape grabbed him by the throat and roared like a lion. Its mouth opened wide as saliva dripped from the savage fangs.

March's body jerked as he awoke from the dream with a loud yell. He was soaking wet. Sweat covered most of his body. His heart was beating like he'd just run a hundred yard dash at a full sprint. His fever had finally broken. The man reached over and lit the oil lamp on the table to his left. He took a long drink from the canteen by its side. He drank until it was almost empty. He poured a little of the water on his head and face.

Tom panted for a minute as his body slowly calmed down. _They cut my hair_ he thought as he rubbed his almost bald head. Water and perspiration dripped from his scalp and neck. When Hayes had asked the Major if he was alright it had been done for a good reason. March had caught some kind of bug. His temperature shot up in a matter of hours. He'd been sedated and moved to one of the empty rooms to sleep it off. The local medic had sedated the man and wrapped him in blankets to help speed up the process.

He held the canteen up and let the last drops fall on his tongue. March then removed his wet shirt and snatched a dry blanket that was draped over a chair in the corner. He rolled it up like a pillow as he thought back on the actual events that had taken place that day long, long ago. The man yawned as fatigue set in. In a matter of minutes he was fast asleep and snoring like a buzz saw.

***** The following morning**

A very rested Tom March walked out of the building and took in the cool morning air. He felt a hundred and ten percent better. The bath he'd just taken combined with the morning breeze made him shiver. Summer was slowly fading as signs of Fall emerged, but he could tell that in no time the sun would be shining bright and hot.

"He's alive. You gave me quite a scare last night" Hayes said as he handed the Major a mug of hot liquid and changed the subject. "Take it Tom, its coffee. Can you believe it? Crappy stuff but I'm not complaining."

March took a whiff of the smoking brew. It smelled a little like hickory. He swallowed a small sip and said, "Well, beggars can't be choosers, now can they?"

They ate a hot meal and enjoyed some peace and quiet as the two drank their hot beverages. About fifteen minutes later a soldier broke up their rest session. He informed the men that they were to follow him to a large tent off in the distance. Reluctantly, the two emptied their cups and followed the Coalition fighter.

"Well it's about damn time" a stocky, bald man said as the two entered the area. "We're at least six hours behind schedule."

"Give it a rest Franks" another man stated in a sharp voice. He was almost as muscular as the NCO he'd just corrected. "What could we do? Drag a sick man out of bed. Forgive him gentlemen he's all work and no play. I assume you're feeling better, Sir. You look it anyway." The Captain ended the sentence with a salute.

March returned the military greeting and shook the extended hand in front of him "I'm Captain Noah Rice, Sir. I'll be in command. That's my second, there; Lieutenant Berger. You're the senior officer but I'm in command of the mission. You and the Captain are on detachment. He's here…" the man stated pointing at Hayes "because of his expertise. You're here…"

"To control him" the husky Sergeant blurted out in jest. There was some laughter until Lieutenant Berger glanced at the group and expressed a few colorful comments regarding Frank's …input.

"It's ok, Lieutenant. No harm done. I'm a big boy." Hayes said.

"We haven't fed him his pound of raw meat today, Sir." Berger replied. "Sergeant, take the platoon and inventory our equipment. Check weapons and gear. Make sure they're ready to muster as soon as I give the word. Let the Gorillas know what's going on and have them ready to muster as well. Report back to me when you're done."

Franks acknowledged the order, barked at a few of the sleeping soldiers hunched on the ground, and went on to do the Lieutenant's bidding.

"Franks isn't exactly wrong, Major. We have no choice but to bring your …um friends with us." Rice said.

"My friends?" March asked.

"The monkeys, Sir" the Captain replied. "We're short on man-power so we're going to have to utilize their strength if we want to succeed. And I don't like it either. It's highly irregular and downright stupid as far as I'm concerned. They don't even know the tunnel exists. But until I'm General, I'll do my job." The man stopped and inhaled as he calmed himself slightly.

"They trust you and you have a history together. At least that's the idea The Brass has." Rice paused again and this time shook his head. "See those men there?" he added pointing to a group in the corner. "They're coming along simply to shadow the animals. One wrong move and I'll cap them on the spot, orders or not."

"Your equipment is there," Rice said "except for that relic. Our engineers have that. You can take what you need. We're moving out in one hour. Ask your questions now and get your things in order."

**The Edge of the Flat Lands**

"Don't ask me what, LT but something isn't right down there. Here take a look" the NCO stated as he handed the officer the binoculars.

The female Lieutenant peered through the goggles, noting the smoke and activity in the ape city. "Yeah, something's going on alright, but I can't see beyond those rooftops. It's odd they've pulled most of their security too. No wonder we didn't run into any patrols. That factory right there is practically vacant. We could almost walk right in and …"

The woman stopped and then repeated her last sentence slower. She turned to the NCO and said, "Well Sarge, what do ya think? Our orders do say to engage targets of opportunity."

"We can't pass this up Ma'am. It's a no brainer." The NCO replied with a half cocked grin.

"Ok, send Corporal Moon and Private Vincent back to report what's going on. Then inform the group that we're going to flank …there." She said pointing off in the distance. "We'll sweep in right…there… at the gray building next to our objective."

She put the goggles in a case and finished with, "Then we'll toss in couple of incendiary grenades and bug out. If we're lucky half the city will catch fire. They'll never know what hit them. Brief the squad and put Alex on point. He's the best we have and we'll be crossing open ground for two-thirds of the trip. You take center and I'll bring up our six. That will maximize command and control in case this is a ploy of some kind. I don't want any surprises. We move out in five"

On the other side of city Sullen jumped for cover as pieces of brick and rubble flew in every direction. He'd separated himself from the humans. It had been apparent that if he didn't they were going to kill him for certain. Things were getting too chaotic. If they didn't shoot him intentionally one of them was bound to gun him down him in all of the commotion. He'd managed to mix together with some of the local soldiers during the ongoing ruckus. It had been relatively easy. There was so much smoke and dust in the area that you could almost cut it with a knife. His ratty looking uniform made him appear no different than the others. He was now just like any other _Joe_.

He'd been ordered, along with the group he'd joined, to secure a building. As the soldiers lined up outside, he slipped in, hoping to slip right out the back; if there was a back. He looked around the large room and saw someone approaching. "Its okay" he said as he caught the eye of a lab tech.

"Are Th...They close?" She whimpered.

"No they're miles away. Everything is fine" he lied. "Is there another way out of here? Um, I, Uhh, need to make sure the building's secure.

"Yes, you'll have to go through the lab though; follow me." She stated pointing towards an entrance.

She unlocked the door and pushed a button. The room illuminated. Sullen instantly thought of the old city tunnels. The building, because of its importance, was one of the few that contained its own power cells. It was limited but the work the apes were doing was too important.

"It's just down here." she said "Wait, I'd better secure the relics. Grogan will have my pelt if anything happens to these. The safe over there is fire proof. I'll just be a second."

She unlatched a steel box and then opened a long drawer. Sullen stopped dead in his tracks as he gazed down at the items. "…By the great ape himself… I do not believe my eyes. What are the odds?" he exclaimed.

"The great who?" the female replied in confusion.

Sullen ignored the tech and went right to the drawer. He casually pushed her aside. She protested as he grabbed the small relic and then picked up the weapon. The chimp noted the change in Sullen's demeanor as he said "You, female, tell me about these. Are they functional?"

"Look, you're not supposed to…" She began to say as her body convulsed and she fell to the ground shaking.

"Well, we now know that the rifle works" Sullen laughed. He examined the M-16 and then slung it over a shoulder. "I might just make it out of here alive". He reached for a bag and put the miniature device inside.

He turned towards the exit but fell to the floor as a bullet shattered his knee. The Prefect wailed out in pain. The pocket-sized mechanism rolled out of the bag as both he and it toppled clumsily to one side.

_Please Authenticate_ it stated as it hit the ground.

"Well, Well, Well Prefect. Haven't you been busy? You're more resourceful than I figured" Major Polk said as he held out his pistol. "Good bye Sullen, you great big pain in …"

"Wait" Sullen cried out, holding up his arm up and waving his paw feverishly. "I can help you, look." Sullen rolled towards the computer. He groped a bit and managed to pick up the device. He brought it to his mouth and said "I authenticate; Whiskey Mike Seven Echo Five Zulu Zulu"

_Authentication accepted. Please specify primary inquiry _

Polk's arm dropped and his paw went limp. "How?" He said as he snatched the device from Sullen. It simply repeated; _please specify primary inquiry_. Sullen nodded at Polk and tilted his head. "I know how it operates" he added.

"See to his wound and get that weapon away from him, now." Polk ordered one of the soldiers. "Dress it and have him brought to my office. I want a full squad to guard him. If he escapes, I'll kill them all. Clean him up too and get him out of that uniform. He disgraces it with his stench."

A loud sound ripped through the building as windows shattered and the structure shook. The startled Polk almost squeezed the trigger on the pistol. Mists of glass sprayed and dust floated downward from the ceiling and support beams. The lights flickered for several seconds and then finally stabilized. A few shots sounded off in the distance, then a few cries and then silence. The night sky brightened as the flames of the burning factory and adjacent buildings began to light up the area. The factory was blocks away but the munitions it housed leveled it and several of the neighboring structures.

"That came from the munitions factory." One of the apes said. "How did the humans get to that part of the city?"

"You just do as I said." Polk ordered "The rest of you come with me".

**The outskirts of Old Washington, DC**

They'd traveled a long way. The nights had been cold and the days were hot. The trip itself was uneventful. It was a nice change from the usually turmoil that had become the norm. What was left of the city could be seen clearly. Most of it was in rubble but a small amount of the region was somewhat recognizable. It was a bit creepy to Hayes. Sporadic specs of light blinked on and off in the distance. Somehow a small bit of power was still active within the ruins.

"That's it there, Tom. Right by that rubble and what's left of those steps." Hayes said as he handed March the field glasses.

March peered through and adjusted the settings slightly. His eyes were not what they'd used to be. Something was there but it was hard to make it out. Chunks of rock and granite were strewn about. Dry vegetation and vines grew just about everywhere. He handed the glasses back to Hayes and said something about crossing that bridge when they came to it.

They were to camp for the night and would be heading to the tunnel in the morning. March had volunteered to take the first security shift. Since he was the senior officer he really wasn't obligated but he'd never been one for using his rank as a way to gain privilege. Besides, after spending weeks on a stretcher he was more than happy to be up and around.

"Dried root, Sir?" Corporal Marshall asked as he handed the officer the fat piece of vegetation.

"Thanks Corporal" March answered his security backup. "You ought to get some shut-eye Sir" He went on looking at Hayes. "We'll be up bright and early".

Hayes gave a head shake in agreement. He looked up at the star lit sky and the full moon. "See that small dot, Corporal? ...Over there" Hayes said pointing.

"Uh, yeah…yeah I do it see it. What is it?" The man answered in surprise. Until Hayes had pointed it out he'd never noticed. "Look there's one over there too." The Corporal added.

"Satellites, probably" Hayes replied. "Those dang things are still going after all these years. Anyway, see ya both in the morning." With that Hayes walked in a small tent, climbed in his sleeping bag, and fell fast asleep.

March sat on security for the next two hours, listening to Marshall, talk his ear off. The Corporal had taken an interest in the M-103. It seemed that the weapon could fire both 7.62 and 5.56 rounds. His rifle was limited to 5.56. He also gave March his opinion on apes, politics, religion, the military, and Sergeant Franks. By the time their relief showed, March was more than ready to go back on a stretcher.

"Anything to report?" Lieutenant Berger asked.

"No Sir" Marshall replied coming to his feet "…been pretty quiet. The monkeys haven't budged and not much else has either. We thought we thought we saw something in the trees but it was just the wind; or maybe an animal"

Berger's seasoned mind found something odd in that last sentence. The apes always took to the trees. He instinctively looked around but nothing was there. Their ape _allies_ were housed in a tent with several guards, keeping post, outside. There was no way one of them could have gotten out. The security inside the camp was a precautionary backup in case they did try and cause trouble. They were fed and had the freedom to move about but they had not been issued weapons. In truth, the apes were more as prisoners than partners.

Narr and the others had been relatively patient. Only because Hayes had assured Grazot that if the mission succeeded, there was very good chance he could guide them back home. Oddly enough a professional trust had developed between the two. Grazot enjoyed goading the man as much as Hayes enjoyed giving it right back. The Air Force officers had made several attempts at getting the others to trust the simians. The words fell on deaf ears.

The following morning Berger ordered the platoon into formation. He briefed the different sections and individuals on their particular parts in the overall mission. "The majority of you will establish a base camp. Sergeant Franks will be in command. Only essential personnel and equipment will be going forward with the Captain and me." He stated. After he was finished Rice made a few remarks and the two groups separated.

They walked forward for ten minutes and stopped abruptly as the point man held up a bent arm and fist.

"Ok this is it. Any further and we risk triggering the net. You men set up that artillery." Rice said to a couple of the soldiers hauling boxes. He turned to the others and went on; "Listen, here's how it works. That concrete rubble there is just shy of an entry point. Once the defense systems fire, we'll have approximately fifteen to twenty seconds to make it in. That's about how long it takes for the system to cycle, target, and fire again."

"That's at least two hundred yards" Hayes said. "Most of its open ground too. We'll never make it"

"A lot of people have died proving that same point, Mister Hayes" Captain White answered.

The area was undeniably open. A few skeletal remains littered the vicinity. Not all were human. Some were animal. Wreckage was present as were a few trees but most of it was exposed with little cover.

"Hold those thoughts, Captain" Rice added as he opened a map. "Yes, it lacks cover but there are dead zones…here, here, here, and right here. We if we negotiate the whole area at one we will die. So instead we move and cover. You gorilla" he said pointing at Ogden. "Think you can make it to there carrying those things?" Rice pointed to some duffle bags and crates. Ogden mentioned something about doing it with ease.

The plan was straightforward. Four mortars were to be launched in four different directions. The automated defenses would come on line and fire. Once the recharge sequence began to hum they'd move to dead-zone one. They'd repeat the process until they were in.

"Twenty seconds is not a lot of time to make it. You move and you move fast. It can be done. Berger and I have been in the tunnel twice before." Rice stated. He went on for the next minute or two with specific instructions and finally ended with, "grab your stuff and get ready."

***** Minutes later**

An ear piecing sound echoed through the region. The mortar rounds fizzed and several turned to mist as the unseen energy pulse vaporized them in a millisecond. The barrages lasted for close to ten minutes, until the order, cease_ fire_ was given.

"Move it." Rice shouted. The teams leapt to their feet …and paws… and headed out. Narr, Grazot, and Ogden looked like superheroes. It took them seconds to reach dead-zone one. _Amazing_, Rice thought as he watched the animals bound overhead.

Everyone else made it with only seconds to spare. March was huffing and panting as he mumbled something about being old and broken down. "Wha …what now?" he puffed out.

"They fire again while we hope they don't bring it down on top of us." Berger smiled. "I'm joking" he said looking at the worried Grazot. "Gather your strength, we go at it again in just a few minutes."

They moved and covered and moved again. On the last run something happened. Captain White was too fatigued. It was no fault of hers. She was in fairly decent shape but couldn't keep up physically with human males. Everyone was in full combat gear. All of it combined weighed between sixty and eighty lbs. The last stretch was the longest and she'd run out of steam. Rice was looking at a time piece as he yelled "Move it Karen." The woman was running as fast as she could but wasn't going to make it.

…11…12…13 …the seconds ticked by. Rice cussed and rose to his feet. Before he could react he felt a strong force pull him back. Ogden flew into the air as the mammoth beast's legs propelled him with a swiftness that only his kind understood. He landed a few feet from White and without hesitation he grabbed her and flung her towards the group. She'd have slammed into the granite but Narr caught her at the last second.

"Come on" Rice shouted "You only have…" …But it was too late. The hum had stopped. As Ogden began to hurdle back, the cities defense grid had already reset, sensed the motion, and targeted the ape. Ogden's survival was a fluke as fate handed him a _get out jail free_ card. His speed, angle, and chance timing had positioned him in just the right spot at just the right time. He winced as the invisible beam scorched the fur on his arm just between his shoulder and elbow. His skinned burned as he twisted and dropped with a thud.

"That couldn't have killed him, could it?" Grazot said looking at Rice.

The beam had only clipped the gorilla but the pain caused him to collapse into unconsciousness. A slight groan from the beast answered Grazot's question before Rice ever spoke.

"No ape sacrifices himself for a human" one of the soldiers mumbled in disbelief. Tears had formed in White's eyes as the realization of what almost happened caught up with her reasoning. She was shaking involuntarily.

Narr turned to the Corporal and sneered "Take a look boy. That's twice one of mine has saved one of yours. I'm beginning to wonder if you're worth it."

The tone startled some of the humans who began to raise their weapons. There was one problem with that; they weren't quick enough. Grazot thrust himself forward and with a single swing of his arm shoved the entire group backwards. He sent them wobbling to the ground. Before they knew it he'd secured a weapon and was handing one to Narr. He tilted his head as if to imply, _what did you expect_, as his locked eyes with Captain Hayes.

"I knew it." Rice blurted out. "Those damn fools back there wouldn't listen but I knew this was one big lie."

"You're the damn fool, human" Narr said as he handed the man the rifle, "You don't know anything. If I wanted you dead I could have accomplished it a dozen different ways at a dozen different times. I don't give a rip about you, your society, or this magical city that you all seem to worship. I almost lost a comrade and a friend. My Executive Officer actually died in an ambush, an ambush from apes. …And my army is dead as well. We have a common interest, a common enemy and I'm sick of playing the untrustworthy savage captive."

It was tense for a few seconds until someone finally spoke. It was Karen White; "Thank you, General Narr. I mean that sincerely. I'd be looking into the face of God, if he hadn't saved me. Now… Shouldn't we be helping your …um our… friend over there rather than pointing guns at each other?" She added, motioning towards Ogden.

That seemed to defuse the tension slightly. Rice spoke up and ordered one of the soldiers to look to Ogden wounds. Next Rice fired a flare high into the Washington sky. Moments later the base camp acknowledged in similar fashion.

"They made it." Sergeant Franks shouted. "Those SOBs actually made it."

The tunnel was cold and dark. It had been built with humans in mind and the gorillas found it to be extremely cramped. It twisted downward for over a mile and finally opened into a set of long corridors. Cobwebs and dust littered the area. The rotted remains of what was once a door lie at the base of the entrance.

"We follow this one" Rice said glancing down at the small gadget he was holding. When their long trek finally finished Rice turned to White and said, "Ok, do your stuff."

The room was large and spacious. A variety of odd looking apparatuses filled the area. The only radiance came from a few thin cable-like structures that ran between the machines and into the walls, ceiling and floor. Several workstation interfaces blinked but others looked as if their power had been cut. Certain machines lie in pieces. They'd been cannibalized long ago. Some of the mechanisms were lodged directly into the walls. Wires, cable, and circuit boards hung limp from several spots. The official seal of the United States of America lie faded on the far wall where it had been originally painted long ago. Rotted and rusted furniture lie scattered about.

White directed the apes to drop their equipment in different spots in the room. The Corporal and a couple of the other soldiers were removing panels and unpacking some kind of clear conduits. The additional soldiers began clearing the area of the centuries old debris. White pointed and made a few "Ok, put that there" and "move those here" remarks as she directed the section like a foreman. Next she pulled out a small mechanical device and tapped a button. A 3-D design similar to the paper Hayes had explained displayed in mid air. Narr and Ogden stepped back not sure what to make of the magic that was glimmering before them. They were spooked even more when a mechanized voice crackled; _Hello Karen_, _Please specify primary inquiry_. White slid the object into a notch on one of the larger work areas. She tapped at the 3-D illustration and used her fingers to glide some of the imagery around. Once she was satisfied she turned and looked at Rice.

"I need the codes, Captain Rice" White stated.

Rice tapped the timepiece he was holding. Its face lit up and he brushed his finger across the surface. A minute later he spoke up and said, "Ok, I've got them. Let me know when you're ready."

"Good morning, _Norman_," White said, "Please link into the neural processor. Unlock all internal terminals. Initiate heat expansion and begin a controlled chain reaction. Identify gaps in the mass multiplier where the square light velocity is being compromised. On my signal power the primary PWRs (*_Pressurized Water Reactors_)."

"She asked it to come on line, power up and let her know where things are broken" Hayes whispered to March. The Major smiled as if Hayes had read his mind and joked back; "Yeah, that's what I thought she said"

The device interfaced with the primary CPU. Security access protocols were requested by _Norman_ and, when signaled, Rice read them off. The dimensional representation updated and several of the bright green connections changed color. Some were began to blink yellow others blinked red. White directed Hayes to a computer terminal close by. Rice gave him another set of codes and instructed the man to speak them into a square box on the terminals top-right support. Hayes did as he was instructed and the console came on-line. A 3-D interface with icons similar to a desk-top computer blinked into view.

Hayes immediately spoke up as his brain interpreted the error before him. "We have a problem. The neutrons, being absorbed by the nucleus, are splitting too quickly. That would be fine if we were igniting a bomb, to blow ourselves up, but they need to be slowed. The nuclear fuel cycle is out of balance…"

"It's ok. That's what the Nuclear Cells are for. The thermal reactors don't depend on refined and enriched uranium. That's century's old technology. Once it breaks down to the subatomic _seticks,_ it will stabilize." White said calmly. "But you are right about one thing. We need to balance the cycle or we'll fry the system. Heat is still heat. Corporal Marshall, how are things coming at your end?"

"I'm ready ma'am" he replied. "You just give me the sequence and make sure that _Norman_ controls the cycling and we'll be good." Marshall replied.

White turned back to Hayes who'd just mumbled something about having no idea what a _setick_ was. "Forget about it Captain." She said in irritation. "I need you to concentrate on the bosons and fermions. Take note of their spin ratio. The spin-statistics displaying in the center identify the resulting quantum statistics that differentiates the two. You'll have to adjust so that the particles associated with matter are purely fermions. They'll have a half-integer spin and are divided into twelve flavors. The particles associated with fundamental forces are bosons and they'll have an integer spin. As _Norman_ feeds you the ratios that are in error, you'll have to adjust and compensate manually. Simply speak your corrections into the display. _Norman_ process voice recognition and accept only level 3 commands. …Say something Mister Hayes."

"Hi Norm old buddy. Let's hope you and I don't kill everyone in the process" The cynical man stated.

_Voice print accepted __– level 3 access now permitted_ the device replied.

"_Norman_, please power the primary PWRs. Ok, Corporal, you have a go". White stated. A creaking sound ripped through the area as Marshall flipped a few large levers and connected some cabling. For a second everyone stooped and looked around. The sound was anything but a comfort. Minutes later rushing water echoed through the pipes. An old vent in the ceiling opened and air began to circulate. It blew dust and dirt around as it circulated the gust upwards.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea" Ogden said as he glanced over at Grazot

For the next half hour or so, White instructed the personnel in the large room as they fixed equipment, compensated for problems, pulled out glowing circuit boards, and manipulated the 3-D images. The Corporal and his team routed wires sealed the cells. Hayes monitored pressure levels, gamma emissions, heat conditions and molecular stability. He entered corrections but still worried about making a mistake.

"Ok" White finally said "We're up and running. The fail-safe has powered down. The city is now off line. We have to get to the surface and repair ruptured links. Once that's done we move to the CDC Main AO and we can tap into the entire network."


	29. Chapter 29: Washington DC Part 2

**South of Old Washington, DC**

"Sergeant Franks, there's a runner's out here from the forward section" the Coalition Private said as he opened the flap to the command tent.

Franks set down the tin of coffee he was drinking and instructed the Private to let the man in. Moments later the runner walked in and gave his report.

"It worked Sergeant. It actually worked." The Corporal stated with enthusiasm "Captain Rice says to tear down camp and move everyone forward immediately. He wants to send out a recon element while Captain White and the others finish up."

Franks rubbed the stubble on his chin. "It worked?" he asked rhetorically "I thought I'd be long dead before anyone ever made it into that city". The statement was certainly ironic since today Franks would be joining the ranks of the dead.

"Sergeant" the Corporal said breaking in "Captain Rice was very particular with his orders. I don't think he's too keen on those ape-loving oddballs we're working with or the apes themselves for that matter. He wants us to move without delay."

Franks shook his head and stated "I'm sure he does, Trent. He has his priorities and we have ours. We're a combat support element not a recon platoon. We can't just pull up roots and move with a seconds notice. We have ammunition and supplies that need special consideration. Get yourself some coffee and we'll move as soon as we're able"

The sergeant called for a few of the soldiers who were just outside the tent. He relayed their orders and gave the command to break down camp and to prepare to move out in ninety minutes.

An hour later the camp was down and they were ready to move. The two squads of soldiers stood lined up as Franks gave them all their last minute instructions. He inspected some of the personal gear and equipment as he barked at the subordinates or slapped a few heads.

On a tree line about two hundred yards away the orangutan peered though a set of binoculars. He panned to his left where his gaze met another ape. He made a few signals with his paws and then panned to his right and did the same. Both soldiers acknowledged with gestures of their own and moved into place. The ape then glanced back at his chimpanzee superior and nodded. The chimp gave the go-ahead. With that the orangutan signaled the two teams one last time. The snipers raised their weapons and motioned for the others to get into position.

Back in the human camp several soldiers were loading the last of the equipment onto a wagon. Others were securing their personal gear or smoking. When the sniper fire came, Franks and his senior NCOs died before they ever realized they'd been attacked. The group was surrounded and the shots were fired in almost perfect harmony.

The other apes were just as meticulous as they selected key individuals to mark. They'd been shadowing the unit for days. The main leadership and the chain of command had been identified and specifically targeted. With their chief decision makers gone, the rest of the section fell into chaos. A few more random targets were chosen just to amplify the already alarmed soldiers. The corporal who'd carried the news had been shot in leg and was scratching at the ground in a mad attempt to make it to the wagon.

At just the right time, the apes rose from their concealment. Like a pack of wolves, they rushed the remaining soldiers. Anything that moved was besieged, shot or pummeled. The apes were few in number but their plan had executed flawlessly. Every person, except Trent, was dead and only one of the primates had been hit with any kind of return-fire.

Over the next several minutes Corporal Trent was questioned, under torture, until he told the simians exactly what they wanted to know. Once the chimpanzee leader was satisfied, the man was shot in the head. They took the information and equipment and headed towards the old capital.

**Ape Territorial Command**

"Here's my offer; you explain the functionality of these devices to me, in full, and I'll give you a horse, a weapon, and a months rations. You'll be free to go wherever you please. You have my word on that." Polk stated. "…And you'd best take it. I've reached my limit Prefect. My militia is spread thin, our armaments have been compromised, and every capable ape I could round up is out there getting this city back in order."

Sullen laughed to himself as he thought of Arum. Humans were the masters of destruction. That fact was clearly evident. Two of these loose animals had crippled a hundred years progress in mere weeks. His great nation was now …well who knew … a great mess, he presumed. It was nice watching them do it to someone else.

"A horse you say." The Prefect sneered "That's rather considerate of you since the alternative would be for me to hop out of here on one leg. …And I have your word, huh? Is that supposed to bring me some kind of comfort? How do I know that you won't kill me as soon as you get what you want?"

"Fair enough" Polk said. "I can understand your reservation. So, as an act of good faith I'm going to take the first step towards trust …no, why don't we call it _mutual cooperation_ instead. Trust may come in time but let's be realists, shall we?"

The Territorial Commander finished his sentence and then called for a guard. The soldier walked in with a holstered pistol and leather belt. He also brought in a rifle. He laid it on Polk's desk and walked out. Sullen got a little tense wondering if he was about to be shot anyway. His knee throbbed as he entertained the unpleasant thought.

"Take it. They're cleaned and they're loaded" Polk said sliding the weapons towards him. "Our intelligence enforcement units carry these same rifles. They're state of the art. You could take out a human at three hundred yards with it."

"It's simple Prefect." He went on to say "With just a paw-full of those relics and the knowledge to use them, I can finally remove the human blight that has plagued us for hundreds of years. You're just one ape and believe me killing you would bring great pleasure but there are bigger game to bag than you. The enemy is man. You know it and so do I. If left unchecked they'll make a desert of this entire area."

Sullen scratched his forearm, where until recently, there had been a cast. He couldn't argue with that statement. In fact, he'd have gone even farther if the sentence had rolled off his lips. The Prefect studied Polk through a lens of mistrust. _What's your angle this time_, he thought as he slowly reached for the fire arm.

"Don't sit there groping like a scared female. Take it." Polk said with a wave of his paw. "Here, go out and enjoy yourself a little. Most of the south side of town was spared. The cantina is one of the few places that escaped destruction. We'll meet up after my staff meeting. Go fill your belly and then find yourself a sweet smelling female." he added tossing several large silver coins on the table.

Sullen toddled into the building looking for a place to sit. It was busy and loud. An ape took his rifle and put it in a rack with several others. He handed Sullen a slip and told him not to lose it. He mumbled something about his wound and thanked him for his service to the nation.

The area was full of simians. Apes bounced him from once side to the other as he tried to keep himself balanced. "Blasted crutches" he mumbled, struggling intensely to stay poised. HHhhe finally plopped himself down in the first open seat he saw. A young soldier sat there drinking some kind of alcoholic beverage. The ape looked up and in a semi comatose manner he said, "Sure thing Pops, have a seat."

The Prefect felt a little uneasy but he wasn't about to leave and face the river of moving bodies again. He nodded back with a half smile and thanked the soldier. Someone came by and put a loaf of bread on the table. Sullen instructed her to bring him something to eat. "I don't care what it is as long as the food is hot and the beverage is cold." When the simian barmaid informed him that cold drinks were expensive Sullen flipped a couple of the silver coins on her tray. By the expression on her face he could tell that it was more than sufficient. "You just make sure I stay happy." He added with a wink.

"What the heck, Pops." The soldier said "You'd better not flash that stuff around. You're liable to get your skull cracked." He took a sip of his ale and changed the topic. "Took one in the knee huh? Humans," he paused and spit at the floor "…weak and feeble but they sure can be resourceful. Not even out Capital city is safe. We lost a lot of apes trying to push into those old ruins."

"Yeah," the ape replied "Humans are definitely that. And it's Sullen, son, not _Pops_. Where I come from we have a word called; _Respect_."

"Hey no offense Pop… um Sullen" The chimp stated. "…You in the Forces? I mean the wound and all… But you're not wearing a uniform and you're throwing currency around like there's no tomorrow. …On temporary leave or something?"

"I was wounded during the riot." was all Sullen replied. He unlatched the bulky belt that was holding the pistol and set it on the table. "And this thing is pushing into my side." He said rubbing his hip.

"Hey, that's a 9mm; officer issue… Um I'm very sorry Sir. If I was…" The ape began to state in apology.

"Look, just finish your drink and drop it. I'm not an officer, more of a _volunteer"_ Sullen interrupted.

_He's TID_ shot through the young Private's head. _How could I have been so stupid? No wonder he just sat his butt down without even asking!_

The food came and Sullen had the young maid bring the soldier another round. The Private loosened up again and bored Sullen with stories of his family and lack of success with a certain female. When the drinks came the Private picked up the holstered weapon that was taking up room on the table. A certain 'clack' made him take pause.

"That's odd. Mind if I take a look, Sir?" The private had gone from _Pops_, to _Sullen_, but his fear of the TID caused him to eventually settle on, _Sir. _That was actually a title the Prefect was used to hearing, so he let the issue die there.

The ape field-stripped the weapon as if he'd built it himself. Within seconds he spoke up. "Odd, it's cleaned and oiled but there's something lodged in the barrel."

"Is there now?" Sullen said through grit teeth. "That blasted Polk. I knew he wasn't…"

"Polk?" the Private exclaimed in surprise "As in Major Polk?"

"Yes, we have sort of a partnership, so to speak" Sullen replied. That remark convinced everyone in ear-shot that Sullen was indeed TID.

The Prefect composed himself as he noticed several apes staring directly at him. _How ironic_, he thought. _This half-drunk child has just exposed that buffoon of a Major_. A hundred ideas went through his mind once but one thought floated to the top of his brain. He was tired of being on the wrong side of the plan. That was about to change. Polk was as dishonorable as a human and it was about time to treat him like one.

The ape soldier reached for a tool in his field-gear. He fumbled for a second until the piece popped out. "Geeze, it's almost like someone shoved it in there intentionally. If you'd engaged this thing, it would have misfired and taken your head off. There was even a round in the chamber."

"Yes, how fortunate you found the, um mistake." Sullen replied. "Here" he added putting a few pieces of the silver in the chimps paw. "Go find that female you fancy and see if you can't win her over with this. You've certainly earned it my friend"

The ape smiled, saying nothing. He just stared at the loot grinning away. Sullen tipped his head, said his good-bye. The barmaid surfaced again and made an attempt to return his money. She mentioned the owners name and something about being honored by the TID.

"If your boss doesn't want it, then you keep it." Sullen said as he pulled himself up. He retrieved the rifle and worked his way out of the building.

The bright sunlight made the Prefect squint as he exited the dark building. It was also very hot. Sullen felt the material of his clothes, taking note that it was much more comfortable than the leather apparel he'd grown up in. There was the smell of burnt ash in the air. He looked around as he jingled the last few silver coins in his paw. Repairs were going on everywhere. Supplies and horse drawn wagons were coming and going. He could hear the distant thud of axes as they chopped away at trees or broke up the burned timber of blackened structures. His eyes finally fixed on a building off in the distance.

"Perfect" the ape muttered to himself. He grasped the crutches and made his way down the road. He marveled at paved streets and amazing architecture. _Was I wrong to hold so much back from my apes?_ he mused. _Would I even be here now if I hadn't?_

When he finally arrived at the destination he could hear two apes arguing. They hot- headed and shouting so loud Sullen picked up on it blocks away.

"This is legalized robbery, that's what it is." The gorilla shouted. "We had a deal. I have young ones, you small minded crook"

"That deal was made before the rioting burned half my supplies. You want it; it will now cost three ounces." The gorilla on the opposite side of the counter shouted back. "I'm not running a charity here! I have children too."

The bickering went on for fifteen minutes and almost evolved into a brawl. When the perspective buyer noticed Sullen, he stated a few censored remarks and stormed out. The shop owner shouted back a few comments of his own before turning his attention to Sullen. "I'm sorry about that but that bloody human raid has killed my business. What can I do for you?"

Sullen rattled off a list of items until the gorilla finally stopped him "Hey slow it down there, old-timer. You're asking for quite a bit. You do have currency, don't you?"

The Prefect tossed the rest of the coins on the table. He had no idea what their financial structure was like but he did know that gold and silver seemed to get you a lot. From what he'd witnessed, most of the city lived on copper.

The shop-keeper scratched his head and looked at Sullen with a hint of suspicion. "That's impressive but not enough to pay for everything. You're still asking for quite a bit."

Sullen paused for a second and the slung the rifle off his shoulder. "Here, what's this worth?" he said placing it in front of the ape.

"That's a military issue. You can't just…" The gorilla began to protest.

"I'm TID" Sullen stated in confidence. He'd noticed that _TID_ had spooked the Private. More than once the young simian had asked him about it. There was something about this TID that these apes feared. The fact was reinforced by the change in expression on the ape's face.

Within minutes the two reached an agreement. Sullen gave the gorilla specific instructions and stressed that he was to discuss it with no one. Feeling lucky he concluded with "I don't suppose you can give an ape who was wounded in the line of duty a ride back to the Territorial Command building, could you?"

**Old Washington, DC**

Hayes looked around his former Capital with a splinter of grief. What had once been the greatest symbol for liberty and freedom was now miles and miles of wasteland. The vestiges of cooled molten rock and brick were staring him in the face. The Washington Monument, the White House, The Soviet Victory Memorial, the statues of the Founding Fathers, the Capital Building …all of it was gone. The base of the Lincoln Memorial was somewhat intact but only the stairs and the foundation of Lincoln's feet were recognizable. DC was dry and arid. The waterways that formerly surrounded the area had evaporated long ago. Despite that, strange vegetation littered the area.

"Excuse me, Sir" Marshall said as he nudged by Hayes with some equipment.

The Air Force Captain jumped back into reality and gazed around. As nostalgia began to fade optimism began to swell. "The pod" he said quietly. "It can't be more than a mile away."

He looked around for March but didn't see him. The Major was helping some of the others haul equipment. Hayes began to get antsy as he realized that for the first time in months there was a real chance of escaping this nightmare. He pushed a few buttons on the field-pad and began comparing data. GPS interfacing came on-line as the device sent out its encrypted authorization signals. He plugged in a few calculations and made a few mental notes. Hayes referenced a map he'd been given of the capital. Earlier he'd plotted the approximate location of the pod and was now attempting to synchronize it with his current position.

"Captain Rice is it safe to move about?" Hayes asked.

"You stay put." The man answered in a condescending tone. He'd never taken to Hayes and thought that his odd-ball ideas walked hand in hand with his mathematical brilliance. "White may still need your assistance and this is too important. Besides we're going to have to move once they've completed below. You're not on vacation, Soldier. You can sightsee soon enough."

For a slit second Hayes thought of telling the man to go pound sand but his commonsense trumped the idea. The man was twice his size and looked about twice as wide. Besides, If the DC defenses could be secured he'd have ample time to run down any hunches that were rattling around his head. He'd also have access to a load of data and equipment years beyond what the CIS Intel could reveal. Instead he turned to Rice and said "I'll go see if she needs anything"

Rice took a long look at the ruins as he thought about the untouched treasure the city held. _Maybe that nut is right,_ he thought_; Why not send someone out to look around_. There was no longer a reason for the platoon to stay split. He looked at a few of the soldiers who were working with the gorillas and clearing rubble.

"Trent," Rice said sharply. "Grab your weapon and gear. Go to the base-camp and have Franks bring everyone forward. Get 'em up here, pronto. …And I mean pronto, you got me?"

"Yes sir, I'm on it." Trent replied. The Corporal grabbed all his military apparatus and headed out.

Minutes turned to hours and before long it was getting dark. The work itself wasn't the issue. It was clearing the huge piles of rubble and the digging that ate at the time. The men involved appreciated the apes. They could lift ten times what the humans could. Even Ogden, with his wounded wing, was out working the Coalition troops. Finally the lines had been run, parts replaced or Gerri-rigged, and the words "We're ready to move" were uttered.

Karen White glanced to her left as her peripheral vision sensed the movement. She turned for a better look and noticed a crouched figure in the distance. Her mind registered; _chimp_ and her reflexes reached for the pistol at her side. The ape, realizing that he'd been spotted raised his rife. Before he could squeeze the trigger a huge chunk of concrete slammed into the primate. His entire upper body was instantly crushed.

General Grazot whisked the woman to the first piece of cover he could find. "I could smell him" he said as he noted the look of confusion on the woman's face. "And more are out there"

"How?" she asked rhetorically. "There are no ape settlements within a hundred an fifty miles from here."

Within seconds bullets ripped into the air. They ricocheted off building remains and dusty debris. Several of the soldiers who were hauling equipment were cut down before they knew what hit them. Captain Rice was one of them. Several shots punched into his midsection almost cutting him in two. Lieutenant Berger was trying to gain some control but he wasn't quite sure what was going on. He screamed out "Cover" and dove for the ground just as an ape fired at him.

The onslaught of bullets was accompanied by the familiar sound of a few mortars. They dropped both in front and behind the group but not directly on top of them. As quickly as it all started, it abruptly stopped. "I'm coming forward. You have two minutes to clear your dead and tend to the wounded. I'll signal with one shot before I approach." a voice shouted. Berger acknowledged. He gave a few orders but was interrupted by March as the men were attending to the dead.

"Listen to me Lieutenant." March said. "They are not going to let us out alive. They need prisoners. That's why they didn't finish us off. They shot our grunts and took out the man in command. They need White's knowledge. And they know what a prize this city is. We're a means to an end. I'd bet a hundred bucks on it."

Berger looked at March as his brain tried to process the sudden turn of events. "How do you…"

March just kept talking "We don't have time Lieutenant. Take White and haul yourself down there and undo what you just did. Get those fail-safes going again and let whatever it is that causes this city to defend itself to come back online. This is too important to screw with. These apes cannot have access to this power. Move it Lieutenant"

"You'll die too, Sir. But you're right. It's too important." Berger agreed. He shook March's hand, grabbed White, and headed towards the entrance.

The last thing March did was order Hayes to the pod. "Go find it and if by some miracle it's what you think it is, leave without me." Hayes wanted to argue but things were happening too quickly. The shot went off and a chimp accompanied by two orangutans began walking forward.

_So this is how it all ends_ March thought. He casually unlatched the holster holding his pistol. His heart began to speed up a little as his mind settled on the only logical course of action.

"Major, is it?" The chimp said as he noted the rank insignia on March's uniform. "I'm General Voss." In the customary manner, as he'd seen before, Voss handed March a canteen. March reached out, grabbed the object, and took a drink.

"Nice to meet you, Sir" March replied. "I've heard a lot about you."

Voss tipped his head and held his paw out but March intentionally dropped the canteen as he handed it back. As it fell to the ground the apes eyes instinctively followed. March raised the pistol and fired.


	30. Chapter 30: Washington DC, Part 3

**Ape Territorial Capital**

Ulysses strolled down the city streets with his superior, Major Polk. The mass escape and raid on the factory had severely stalled production. Though it had not compromised their ability to wage war, it had caused a serious backlash on any attempts at sustaining one. What was even more destructive than the physical damage was the psychological effect it had on Troop morale. That had slipped considerably in the wake of the heaping devastation. The once proud Territorial Capital was now the blemish of the nation. The civilian workforce was losing confidence and some had been, so bold, as to personally charge Polk. There were threats of strikes and secret talks of a military coup.

The initial blame had fallen squarely on Major Ulysses. He was Polk's second in command and directly responsible for internal security. When the finger-pointing and the excuse making began, Ulysses name was dragged through the mud like an old rag. Twenty-six civilians were wounded, seventeen died and three more weren't likely to survive much longer. Nine soldiers died and five lie hospitalized in critical condition. What made things worse was the small ape child who'd been killed in the chaos. The adolescent's father was the foreman at the munitions factory. He'd moved his family to the opposite side of town, in an attempt to keep them safe. There was s series of temporary dwellings just north of his building. He'd unwittingly brought them within range of the attack on the industrial plant. The explosion had taken out the factory and everything surrounding it.

It had been a quirk of fate that the events had taken place while Ulysses was absent. The Major was miles away surveying territory. By the time he'd returned ninety-five percent of the damage had already occurred. Under normal circumstances he'd be rotting away somewhere with a bullet in his head. But these were different times. Polk needed Ulysses. Despite the setback the ape was still a brilliant tactician. The Territorial Commander couldn't afford that kind of loss; especially with Captain Lant gone. The population was screaming for their sacrificial lamb, and as far as Polk was concerned, Sullen would fit that role well when the time was needed.

The two apes were bantering as they left the reconstruction that was underway "…Voss isn't here" Polk stated "I am. He'd hang his own grandmother for serving him the wrong kind of soup."

Ulysses, who was experiencing a great deal of defenselessness, waved his arm at the construction going on and said. "We've all heard that joke. It doesn't change the fact that I should have prevented this. Humans haven't possessed the strength to attack our capital, in decades. This …_embarrassment_ …is exclusively mine to wear." Deep inside the ape was heated and about to boil. He'd felt blindsided by all of it. After all, he was only out following Polk's orders.

"Get your head on straight, my friend. Voss did things his way and I do things my way. Buildings can be rebuilt and soldiers die in battle. …And unfortunately, so do civilians. The fact that it took place in our capital doesn't change those truths. Though you arrived late you still managed to gain control. Every prisoner was killed or recaptured. The humans who raided the factory got caught in their own doings. No one survived and no one escaped. I made that all plainly clear in this morning's briefings. No retaliation is to be taken out on any soldier. This was a result of the Visitor's actions and I'll deal with it myself. In the mean time, we're going to publically hang a few of the human survivors. That should appease the populous and buy us a little time"

Ulysses exhaled as he over analyzed the phrase; _Though you arrived late._ He'd been out there doing his job, not sightseeing. He was doing exactly what Polk ordered; Finding an alternate rout into the human territories. However, instead of dwelling on misgivings that would go nowhere, if aired, he addressed the issue with Sullen. "And what of this _Prelord_ or _Premier_ or whatever he calls himself? How is it possible that he'd have knowledge of how a relic operates?"

"His title is, _Prefect_." Polk replied "You'll have a chance to ask the ape yourself. We're meeting with him as soon as we get back to the Command Center. So tell me, how do things look? Can we get soldiers and equipment through the eastern wastelands?"

"If we pull elements of the sixty-ninth from Devoir and engineer units of the three-seventy-second from Tepoc we should have enough apes to accomplish the operation. Those two cities are well beyond the reach of the humans. That will give us a three to one advantage on the ground and still allow for a strong line of logistical support. Here's the trade off though, we forfeit artillery support and about a third of the trip is through the outer portion of the desert. I've personally surveyed most of the area. We'll be able to push our infantry through but that's it. The region beyond the sands is too mountainous to haul large equipment. It will involve a lot climbing. We'll be lucky if we can get mortar equipment through it"

"I want you to give me the full details as soon as we're done with that fool of a Visitor." Polk stated. The two apes walked up the large steps and went into the Capital building.

***** Minutes later**

Sullen cursed inside when he entered the room. He felt like a helpless child as he limped across the floor. He'd traded the crutches for a cane but his strength hadn't fully returned to his recently healed arm. He was off balance and almost fell several times. He noted the smirk on Polk's face as he passed the ape. _Your day's coming. You can count on it, my friend_ he thought forcing back his contempt.

Polk gave a quick introduction and offered the Prefect some wine. Sullen thanked him but declined, due to the large meal he'd just eaten. _For all I know it's poison_, he thought.

On a separate table lie the weapons and computing device. There were also several of the items that once belonged to the astronauts. Polk looked at Sullen and exhaled. He picked up the computer and said "We're going to start with this. I want to know everything about it."

Sullen nodded and spoke the authentication code he'd memorized long ago. The object, in return, asked for clarification on which of its various capabilities it should invoke. The ape pushed one of the preset icons in the machine's display.

"This is one of three devices that exist. The other two are secured back in my home." Sullen stated. "It has many functions but I can only speak of a specific few. There was a book …a manual that accompanied it. Do you have that?"

"Unfortunately, no" Polk replied. "That device was captured, with several others, when we took your General Grazot into custody. That blasted Ogden used gold and silver to steal back what he could."

Sullen grinned within. _Good work Troop Sergeant _he thought to himself.

"The book doesn't matter. I have four of the codes in my memory. I learned them as a child. This gadget is like a one-ape Contingent. It contains maps, admittance codes, known supply points and more. Here …look. Let me just show you. It's easier that way"

Sullen pushed a few more buttons as the piece of equipment _beeped. _The display began to glow. Next, the Prefect rotated left and right in an attempt to gain a signal. He settled on the general direction of the desert. The small shiny object sounded off with several louder _beeps_ in rapid succession. When it stopped, it simply asked; _Authentication?_

"I authenticate; Tango Lima three Seven Zero X-Ray Charlie Two" Sullen replied.

_Authentication accepted. Searching… Primary target identified … Due West ... Latitude 43.3504 … Longitude: -84.5603_

"What did you do?" Polk asked as he jumped to his feet.

"Its fine Major," Sullen replied. "I just located where my grandfather hid one hundred and fifty of those rifles …along with a few other items of interest. Here, I think you'll find this most impressive."

Sullen set the object on the table and said "Visual Display". The instrument flashed. The ruined city of Detroit, Michigan exhibited in colorful 3-D imagery. Red crosshairs blinked on with the word, _Objective,_ directly below.

Now it was Ulysses who sprang up "Is that water? Look at the size of it. It's enough to last for five hundred lifetimes"

"I think I need to tell you both of the history behind all of this." Sullen concluded.

For half the day the Prefect answered questions, spoke of his nation's past, explained ideas, and demonstrated what he could. When it was finally over Polk had the items secured and Sullen escorted out. A guard brought in some food as the Major turned to Ulysses and asked "Well, Major, what do you think?"

Ulysses scratched his chin and said. "I don't think he's lying. What would he have to gain from it? Besides it makes sense. We're all aware of the bomb that went off way back when. The desert wasn't always a desert. It almost wiped us out too. How those fools managed to survive and build that upside-down society he spoke of, amazes me."

"It would explain their level of knowhow." Polk added "They had no apes with crafting skills, a limited knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry … all they had were a few books. From that they built the only weapons they could, muskets."

"They're fools Polk." Ulysses broke in "Ignorant fools. They had weapons…a cart full of them. They buried and hid them away. And why? …Because of a misguided perception of man; Weak pathetic man." He mockingly huffed as he said it.

Ulysses pointed in the direction of the desert and continued. "Those rifles and devices make _us_ look like the tree-dwellers. That brainless simian mistakes progress for poison. That's what happens when you have civilians leading a nation. If that craft had landed here, we would have been inside it in minutes and those humans would have been killed without effort. Do you know what we could do with just one flying ship? We could drop our soldiers in anywhere. Do you realize the tactical advantage we'd have if our armies were equipped with those rifles? They actually fire an artillery round. We didn't need him to explain that. We were all present at the demonstration Lant put on."

"Ok, Ulysses, I get the point. I was going to have the Prefect killed." Polk stated as he slapped his companion on the shoulder. "I gave him two rifles that were rigged to misfire … But I think we need to reassess things. Forget flanking the humans. We'll pull the units from Devoir and Tepoc to reinforce Ceasera. This is the last time our capital will be attacked. But I think it's time we sent the Prefect home. I want those rifles and with Sullen's help you're going to get them for me."

**Old Washington, DC**

Hayes darted between whatever he could find for cover and disappeared into the darkness. He flinched as the far-off sound of gun fire echoed through the ruins. _Something went wrong_ rushed though his mind. The man stopped to catch his breath behind the small wall of an old crumbled structure. He pulled out the field-pad and oriented it to his current position. More gun fire and shouting sounded off in the distance. It was followed by a few explosions. He tapped his pad and smiled as he realized he'd successfully triangulated the location he was hunting for.

Hayes looked out into the remoteness before him. Sporadic glimmers of light flashed in various locations. The curious little boy inside wanted to explore the mysteries that lie beyond, but the level headed adult knew he had to reach that pod. If White tripped those fail-safe devices it was his only shot at staying alive. More distant explosions ignited, sending up huge balls of fire.

It took the man some time but he worked his way to the base of the Lincoln Memorial. He instinctively looked around. The area was dimly lit from illumination rods that ran through the debris. The ruptured slabs of concrete and metal obscured some of his view as he attempted to navigate through the wreckage. He secured the field-pad and climbed on to one of the slabs to get a better look. That was when he spotted the decayed human remains just shy of a large mechanical object.

"That's it" Hayes exclaimed as he jumped to the ground.

The Air Force Captain made his way to the crusty skeleton. A majority of the corpse was gone. Part of the head, chest and right arm were all that remained recognizable. Whatever had killed the man …or woman …evidently eradicated most of its body. It was similar to what he'd seen in the open area near the tunnel.

Hayes rolled the frame over with a boot. The brittle bones crumbled into small pieces. _That's a uniform it's wearing_, the man noted. He reached down, grabbed at the rotted fabric, and lifted it up to his face. Captain Hayes shook some of the dust as he read the words; _US Air Force _onone side and _Davidson_ on the other.

"Well Captain Davidson." Hayes said as he noted the worn rank on the tattered uniform. "I hope you don't mind if I borrow your ride. Did you remember to fill the tank before you left?"

As Hayes dropped the old rag on the ground his eyes picked up the small shape of a hand gun. He dug away at the dirt and pulled out the odd looking gadget. It was akin to something he'd seen in comic books, as a child.

The astronaut stood and took a step towards the small craft. A sudden unfamiliar voice almost frightened the man right out of his boots. All the gorilla said was; "You …human".

Hayes instinctively swung around and squeezed the pistol he was holding. The small, bright green, energy burst ripped through the air and sparked as it burned into the concrete slab. The gorilla threw up his arms said "Wait, you fool, you don't understand"

Hayes did not wait. The first shot was discharged randomly but now he could see the gorilla. And though they all looked alike, he knew it wasn't one of the three he'd been traveling with. _Better safe than sorry_ he thought to himself. He shifted his position to fire at the primate but the gorilla was already in the air. The beast flipped himself backwards, landing behind a stack of thick metal beams. "I'm not here to attack, human. Stop firing." He shouted.

"Ok, state your business then" Hayes replied. Still suspicious, the man worked his way back to the cylinder that the late Captain Davidson had crawled out of. _I have to get inside this thing before it's too late,_ he reasoned. It appeared to be on its side and nudged into the ground. Hayes felt around for some kind of opening or latch but paused as the gorilla began to speak.

"You crashed in Arum early in the morning." He said "We beat at the contraption until our muskets broke. Your iron vessel was damaged in the fall. Many apes were killed as they attempted to reach you and the other two men. You fired your repeaters and created fog. We managed to loosen a round door and pull one of you out…"

The ape described the situation in great detail. Their arrival was common knowledge but the report was too accurate, too precise. He portrayed the circumstances as if he'd been there himself. He ended his speech with "…ok, I'm coming forward now."

Tom March was lying unconscious on the ground. His head was bleeding from a hit he'd taken from one of the orangutans. Next to him was the body of the dead General Voss. All around chaos had broken out. A small firefight ensued and the gorillas were brawling with what remained of Voss's soldiers.

March's actions initially shocked the apes. No one ever fired during a truce. It was one understanding that both ape and man seemed to agree on. March, however, was not part of that culture. In fact, in his world things were straight forward. You didn't negotiate with the enemy, you killed them. Or at least you beat them down so much that they no longer remained a threat. He'd blasted Voss right in the head and at point blank range too. The man managed to fire at a second ape before the third struck with blinding force. He'd be dead if Grazot hadn't intervened. Saving human lives was becoming a second job for the apes.

In the rear of the skirmish Colonel Rence was trying to gain control of the apes Voss had left behind. He was out numbered and pinned down. He peered to his left and sighted the human soldier who was scurrying for cover. _Bam-bam_ – The man went down without a cry.

"You," he shouted to a gorilla off in the distance. The ape looked lethargic. He hadn't even raised his rifle. "Get that blasted weapon engaged and bring it down on the enemy. One of them just ran off. He may be going for reinforcements or trying to flank us."

Troop Sergeant Kutos wasn't lethargic; he wasn't sacred and he wasn't hesitating in the heat of battle. He simply wasn't going to fire on his Contingent commanders. Instead he took advantage of the situation and gave a wave of acknowledgment. Kutos bound over some debris and headed off for the human. It was time to defect.

Rence turned to the chimp and gorilla next to him and ordered the apes to fire the mortars they taken from the human camp. The soldiers nodded and went on their way. "We may be out numbered but we're not out gunned." He muttered. "We can still get out of this and I'm going to kill those traitorous gorillas with my own paws."

In the caverns below Lieutenant Berger paused as his ears picked up the loud noises on the surface. "I can't do this." He said "I'm not going to run down here and hide while good men die right above me."

Captain White stopped and turned to the young soldier. "The Major was right Berger. We can't let Voss have access to this power. Every last human on this planet would be at his mercy."

"Yes ma'am" Berger agreed. "But you don't need my help to do your thing. I was ordered to get you down here and you're here. I'm a soldier, not a tech. I can't sit by in safety while my Platoon is fighting for their lives. You give me five minutes. If you don't hear anything you cut the power and bring the fail-safe back up. If by some miracle we make out of this, I'll beat on the hand rails three times. If you hear that you know we've won and you can stop."

Berger didn't wait for a reply. The young man turned towards the stairs and headed up. His eyes took a second to adjust as he cautiously exited the passageway and stepped out into the wreckage. He looked around. There was March. The man looked dead. The Lieutenant hesitated as he recognized the uniform of General Voss. The apes had managed to take out the human leadership but hadn't accounted for the gorillas. Narr, Grazot and Ogden had organized the human survivors.

"You three come with me. We're going to try and scale that rubble and see if we can get a look at what we're dealing with. The height will give us an advantage" Ogden said to the scared human soldiers. "Don't shoot at what you can't see." The Supreme Troop Sergeant turned to the last soldier alive. "You flank left. Go around those half standing structures, right there. Climb into that tall one and stay out of sight. If we do this right we'll cover all sectors of fire. If they make a move, we'll cut 'em in two."

The whistling of mortar rounds buzzed through the air. Without thinking Berger took cover in the passage entrance. That's when an idea popped into his head. The shells hit and exploded. As the apes reloaded Berger shot out the door. He shouted over in Ogden's direction. "Get everyone over here now. We're going inside" The confused soldiers didn't know how to react but moved towards the entrance when Ogden said "Change in plans, move!"

Ogden whistled in Grazot's direction. The ape General was nursing a knife gouge he'd taken from the ape that had attacked March. "Come on Sir, we need to get Supreme General …" BOOOOM BOOOM BOOOOM the rounds hit sending dirt, debris, and shrapnel everywhere. The dead body of a human soldier flew into Ogden. The force was so strong it knocked the hulking beast to the deck. The impact took the wind right out of him. The next thing Ogden knew he was waking up in the room with all of the mechanized equipment.

"Take it easy Troop Sergeant." Grazot said. "You took it pretty bad. Ironic, how you seem to cheat death. Those humans took the brunt of it. They absorbed just enough to keep you from being splattered all over."

"What's going on Sir? Where is General Narr?" Ogden asked.

Grazot shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. I grabbed you and the human Major and headed down here. Those massive bombs fell everywhere. The human female has triggered those shafts of heat. Anyone above is dead. She's in the process of setting things back."

Berger walked over Grazot and handed a rifle. "I never thought I'd be arming a gorilla." He joking stated. "Think you can fire it with wounded paw?"

"I'll manage." Grazot said.

"How you doin' fuzz-ball?" Berger said with a grin

"I'm fine. Just a few bruises" Ogden replied.

"Good, because you've just been drafted" The Lieutenant replied. "We're short on manpower and you're going to have help us link up the defenses."

"Look," Berger added "I know my men didn't make it but I appreciate you stepping up and getting them organized. Yes they died, but you managed to keep the apes busy long enough for us to get the fail-safes going. We're all alive because of you."


	31. Chapter 31: A Tale of Two Cities

**Old Washington, DC**

"What do you mean, it didn't work?" Berger asked in surprise.

"I mean exactly what I said; the fail-safe didn't kick in." White replied, "There's too much power running through the system. We installed over two dozen of those Cells. You can't just flip a switch. It has to be done in a very conservative manner. The shutdown margins must be precise to prevent the cells from going subcritical."

"What's the downside here? What happens if I simply shoot this stuff and force the fail-safe to kick in?" Berger replied. "Is that dangerous?" 

"Not necessarily" White said, "Not to us anyway. The cells are designed to manage their own _reactivity_. We wouldn't be in any physical danger but they would eventually exhaust themselves. So, to answer your question; no, it would not be dangerous. However, it would be highly stupid. This trip or any future one would be a waste. The virtual interfaces and imaging relays would fry. There are a dozen other issues that would arise but I won't bore you with all of it."

"There's no way to salvage anything from the abandon shelter?" Berger asked.

"We can't build spare parts, Lieutenant." White stated "We've collected this material over several decades. See that thing there? It's a pieced together satellite signal sensor. If it gets damaged we'll drop all GPS …for good."

White walked over to one of the machines she installed and continued, "And it isn't a given that shooting the equipment will resolve anything. We are only one-third of the way though the process. Power is going to the shelter, not a lot, but some of it is going there. The central mainframe interfaces are in a controlled reboot. If that's interrupted the source code will become corrupted"

"Regardless, this changes things." Berger stated "We need to get top-side. The shelling has stopped. By now Voss's soldiers are almost certainly searching for survivors. We may have wounded up there too."

"Or they're waiting for us to pop our heads out there so they can finish us off." Ogden added.

Berger looked at the ape and said "Come on Sergeant, follow me. It's much easier to make a decision based on facts. Shooting the equipment may not be the answer but shooting those SOBs, up there, is". Before they departed Berger gave Captain White specific instructions that he'd indicate his return by tapping the rail. "You fire at anything that comes through that door without signaling." White shook her head and the two soldiers headed out and upward.

"Captain" Grazot said looking at White. "Is there anything here that will give us a tactical advantage? If not, is there anything that can be done to protect the equipment if we do get into a conflict?"

"Nothing here will help, General. And most of this equipment is critical as I stated to Berger" White answered. "We need to get to the old government command shelter. Once there, _Norman_ can reestablish the CDC interfaces. Like I said; this isn't like turning a doorknob. We're dealing with sensitive equipment, routines that need to be written, and your basic mechanical repairs. Like it or not it's going to take time and a lot of it at that."

They both stopped and turned as March moaned his way back into the world of the living.

***** On the Surface**

Colonel Rence drove the dagger deep into the shoulder of General Narr. The gorilla howled in pain as the cold steel cut into his flesh. Narr managed to kill the other two simians but Rence had flanked the General in the process. He'd used the debris and terrain to gain height and dropped on Narr, like a spider drops on its prey.

The General tried to counter but Rence twisted the knife, multiplying the ape's pain enormously. He smiled and twisted the blade in the opposite direction. "We warned you about consorting with those furless pigs. That makes you worse than traitor, in my eyes. But don't worry little monkey, in a moment your troubles will all be over!"

The Colonel pulled the knife out and drove it back in as quickly as he could. The blade sliced into the simian's chest as if it were butter. Narr grabbed at Rence's wrist but went limp and fell unconscious. The Territorial soldier lifted his boot and pushed Narr backwards. "Pathetic waste of fur" Rence mumbled. The gorilla twisted the ragdoll and fell to the dirty ground with a thump. The Colonel wiped the flat edge of his knife on the tattered uniform of General Narr. "_Supreme General_" he huffed in a long drawn out mocking tone. "More like a clay pigeon". The ape looked around, realizing that he needed to cut the victory celebration short and evaluate his predicament. Someone was approaching but they spoke up before Rence had time to react.

"Sir, it's me." Kutos shouted "I'm coming forward and I have a prisoner".

Rence swung around as the body of Hayes flew through the air and tumbled on impact with the hard dirt. The plan had been relatively easy. Hayes would play possum while Kutos got the ape to drop his guard. However the sight of the dead General Narr changed that plan in midstream.

Rence had his attention on Hayes when the small green ball of light hit his thigh, separating his leg from the rest of his body. The sudden imbalance caused the soldier to drop to the ground. It happened so quickly that Rence went into shock. The wound didn't even bleed. The energy blast immediately cauterized the injury.

The stunned ape reached for the leg as Kutos stepped on his paw. He didn't make a sound as the gorilla killed him at close range. He snorted and turned his head as the stench of burned flesh and fur filled his nostrils.

A dusty and slightly battered Hayes rose to his feet and said "I thought the plan was to have him drop his guard …possible take him prisoner. Not ride in with guns blazing like a John Wayne movie?"

"John Wayne? …It doesn't matter, the plans changed as soon as I saw him. Besides, captured alive or shot dead, the threat has been taken care of" Kutos said pointing to Narr. "These savages have killed everyone from my Contingent. I've been waiting for this moment."

"That's lovely" Hayes replied picking up a rifle. "You couldn't have decided that, _before_, you tossed me down the alley like a bowling ball?"

Captain Hayes quickly checked the weapon and knelt down next to General Narr. "Wow there's a lot of blood, but his chest is moving up and down. I think he's still alive."

Kutos took a stride towards Narr as Berger stepped out of the shadows with Ogden. "Drop that weapon and turn around slowly."

It took a second to explain but Hayes did his best to fill the Lieutenant in on what was really going on. Ogden was also able to vouch for the gorilla.

"You _strangers from far off_ sure do seem to come out of nowhere" Berger said looking at Kutos. "I'm no medic but let me see what I can do for him". The Lieutenant picked up the knife that once belonged to Rence. He cut pieces of the Colonel's uniform and dresses Narr's injuries the best way he could.

"Troop Sergeant Kutos, how did you manage to survive?" Ogden asked. He almost didn't believe his eyes.

"We've been stuck out here for months." Kutos stated. "…Seems like it anyway. When these butchers sent our Contingent on that suicide mission against this city's …magic… Colonel Arris assigned a few us as support personnel to the Territorial Command. Probably because I was a courier when I held the rank of Corporal, back home. Ninety percent of the soldiers died when we tried to flank the ruins of the old capital but Voss was still obsessed with getting inside."

"That still doesn't explain how you survived" Berger added.

Kutos sat down on a slab of concrete and scratched at his side. "There were fifteen of us when we started. By the time we spotted and shadowed your unit we were down to seven. When we shifted our initial movement towards these ruins, soldiers began to die instantly. It was like something invisible was reaching out and snatching bodies like a frog slapping its tongue at a fly. It would have eventually killed us all but Sergeant Major Aden stumbled across a crevasse. It was larger and deep. We took refuge in it. Voss called it a _dead zone_. He sent out patrols to try and find a way to navigate back to Ceasera but if they ventured too far, they were struck by those invisible blasts of heat."

"And what about food and water?" Berger asked with some suspicion. "You can't live on …"

"Rats mostly and few leaves and bugs" Kutos replied picking up on the doubtful tone. "The cave was full of them. In fact, after some time it was evident where the dead zone ended and the death trap began. Even the rats died if they moved out too far. Water was a problem. We rationed what we had but were running dry. If your detachment hadn't shown up we would have eventually died. We shadowed your rear element through the use of binoculars. Eventually, one of the officers, a Colonel Philonus, noticed rats crawling well beyond the safety zones. We broke camp and ambushed the rear unit. Voss tortured information out of the survivors and we made our way here. They're obsessed with this place."

Berger struggled with feelings of wasting Kutos where he stood. Sergeant Franks was a pain in his rear but he'd been a competent soldier and a friend. The ape had just admitted to slaughtering him and killing the others. _I'm sure he had no choice in the matter, but it doesn't change the facts._ Berger's anger rose even higher as he listened to him explain how he'd refused to fire on Narr and Grazot. _Sure,_ he contemplated deep down;_ kill the filthy humans but …_

"You ok Lieutenant?" Hayes asked. "You look like some one just insulted your wife."

"Huh?" Berger replied feeling like his thoughts had just exposed him. "Considering that I just lost an entire platoon … No Sir, I'm not 'ok'. Look, why don't you and the Sergeant here sweep the area for both survivors and any hostiles that might be hiding?"

He paused as he glared at Kutos. "Ogden and I will head back and get Captain White. She's a technical wonder but she has some medial experience as well. I'll have her tend to the General."

"Sounds good to me, Lieutenant. I need to talk with her anyway. Please see that Tom …um, I mean Major March comes up as well."

"I'll see what I can do" Berger replied with a casual salute. "Come on Sergeant let's get going."

"Human, wait." Kutos said. "There's more. Colonel Rence sent a soldier back to report on the situation."

Berger's expression became severely grim. "Back?" he asked. "Back to where?"

"Their capital, I believe." Kutos replied.

"Forget those last orders." The Lieutenant stated. "We're heading back to the tunnel right now"

**The Flatlands – Three days later **

Philonus crouched quietly in the tree as the human patrol passed by. This was the third one today. He pondered what had transpired in his absence. How had the humans managed to gain a foothold so close to the capital? Under normal conditions he'd have been home long ago but the human presence had slowed his progress considerable. He'd taken to the trees when he'd noted that the second patrol was laying mines and mapping the terrain.

He quietly scurried down the trunk of the thick oak as a couple of the human soldiers slept, nuzzled in a bed of leaves. Off in the distance two soldiers were surveying a piece of land and discussing the various facts of their mission. The Territorial soldier paused halfway down as one of the men opened his eyes and yawned. He rubbed at his nose, rolled over, and fell back to sleep. The remains of their rations were scattered about but the ape was most interested in a canteen lying next to the human soldier. Philonus worked his way out on the branch that was just above the two men. The ape then used his lower paws to hang from the branch while grabbing the canteen with the upper appendages. He pulled himself up, drank it dry, and set it gently down where he'd found it.

Minutes later a third human soldier woke the two sleeping beauties with a gentle kick, informing them that they'd be leaving shortly. He barked, shouted and pointed at the trash lying around. "Why don't you just send up a flair?" He stated crumbling a piece of the rubbish in his hand and tossing into the chest of the closest man. "Police it up…now! Bradford, once we move, you're on point". The men cleaned up their garbage and moments later the small unit moved through the foliage and eventually disappeared out of sight.

Lieutenant Colonel Philonus waited a little longer, just to make sure there was distance between them. He munched on a few leaves and scratched his body on the hard dry bark. Once he was convinced it was safe he bound through the trees making his way home. The closer he got to Ceasera the less he had to conceal himself. By mid-day he'd reached a sentry post. The sleeping Private got the scolding of a lifetime as Philonus walked up unchallenged. Once the butt-chewing was finished, he rested a bit, mounted a horse, and headed towards Ceasera.

"Great …Just great" the Private said as Philonus rode off on his steed. "First he eats my food and drinks my water and now I have to walk back."

**Caesarea **

The soldier lifted Sullen and placed him in the front of the wagon. Other apes were busy loading equipment and supplies into the back. Ulysses stood on the edge of the capital building steps talking with Polk and another officer. Fifteen minutes later Ulysses was given the signal that they were ready to move out. He instructed the senior NCO to confer the official marching orders and the medium sized militia headed out towards the desert.

Captain Sarref, an officer of the three-seventy-second, turned to Polk and said "If there's nothing else Sir. I'd like to conduct my rounds. My apes are all well trained but we're no longer in Tepoc City and they need to stay sober of that fact."

"Of course, Captain. Please carry on." Polk stated.

The gorilla saluted and shouted to a couple Lieutenant's off in the distance. Polk snickered at the ape's dedication. _He's certainly efficient,_ _Makes my life easier, that's for sure_ The Major thought_. Ulysses knew what was he was talking about when he recommended the ape to fill in for Lant._

Slowly but surely things were beginning to stabilize. Priority had been given to reconstructing the munitions factory. Some of the automated processes had been repaired and it was estimated that it would be fully operationally by the month's end. Some of the smaller, less damaged buildings had already been refurbished. Support troops from the Devoir and Tepoc arrived earlier that day. They were in-processing and being backfilled where gaps existed. It was turning out to be a very satisfying and productive day. Unfortunately, it was about to end as Polk heard the shouting of his name over and over.

"Major Polk … Major Polk" the soldier cried out though his winded voice. "You've been ordered to the Staff Command Post."

"The Staff Command Post?" Polk repeated in confusion. "We haven't used that in months".

Polk rubbed his brow and then looked at the soldier. A small light went off in his head, signaling that something wasn't right. No one in Ceasera out ranked the Major. Who would be so bold as to order him anywhere? "Ordered? … by who Corporal?"

"Colonel Philonus, Sir. He rode into town about forty-five minutes ago." The soldier answered.

"Philonus" Polk repeated once more, what he'd just heard, as he tried to get his brain to catch up with what was going on. "…forty-five minutes ago. Why am I just being informed about this now? They're back? They're alive? Is General Voss here too?"

"The Colonel was alone, Major and he's fit to be tied. He entered through the southern gate. He was heading for the capital building but went nuts when he saw the damage. Half of the regulars don't know if they're coming or going. And the replacements we backfilled from sixty-ninth and the three-seventy-second are all that and more."

_Philonus_, Polk whispered quietly, _of all the apes on the staff, why him?_

The two simians had a long history. Philonus was direct and dealt with issues in a very punitive manner. Polk was stern and stubborn but he wasn't so quick to pull the trigger. If the Major had a need for someone he'd find a way to make excuses for them. Philonus wasn't as forgiving. It had caused friction in their relationship. Both apes were staff officers under General Voss's command and more than once they'd butted heads on procedural issues.

Polk took in a deep breath and shook his head. His mind was already running through a series of scenarios and excuses. Philonus had the authority to order his execution and he needed rock sold explanations or his so-called productive day was also going to be the last one on the planet.

"Corporal, please tell the Colonel I'm on my way." Polk instructed. "I just need to finish up a couple of things and I'll be right there."

When Polk arrived Philonus was talking with the munitions factory operations manager. The supervisor was pointing and waving his paws around as he explained the work-around that was in place. A few junior officers and an NCO were doting around the Colonel in an attempt to calm his temper. It was chaotic.

Polk didn't wait for a pause and simply spoke up once he was close enough to the chattering mob. "This is certainly a big surprise Colonel Philonus. We thought you were long dead. I'm happy to see things were not as we perceived" Polk had a respectful but superficial grin on his face. Philonus turned, giving his full attention to the ape, but he wasn't smiling back. "Excuse me gentleapes but I have some things I need to discuss with Major Polk. Walk with me please, Major"

The Colonel was mildly pleasant until the two were outside. As soon as the factory door closed the entire demeanor of Philonus changed. "Riots Polk? …Here in Ceasera … Humans walking right into our capital and sabotaging our production facility… And what's all this about some Visitor orangutan helping them? Do you know that they're mining and mapping the Flatlands while we have apes sleeping at their sentry posts?"

To his surprise Polk did not know that but he kept that information to himself. He knew they were probing the city but he had no idea engineer units were laying mines.

"At the rate they're going, in a few months they'll have us pinned in." the Colonel went on explaining "They know we out number them but they're slowly neutralizing that advantage. If we don't control the Flat Lands this city will be seriously compromised"

Polk didn't flinch "Sir, I'm not trying to put this off but wouldn't it be better to call the staff together and address this formally? I have just as many questions as you do. I can also give you explanations on everything you see."

Polk paused as his curiosity rose "Where are the General and Colonel Rence? And what about the rest of the staff?"

The Colonel ignored the question and bantered a moment longer until he finally conceded. "Ok Major, you make a good point. It would certainly be easier to explain things once, rather than tell the same tale a hundred times. Set things up and we'll meet tonight, right after evening chow. But you'd better have some very good answers because I'm going to ask some equally pressing questions. You should have shot Ulysses, Polk.

"Sir, I'm curious, what about the others?" Polk asked again as he ignored the last declaration.

"You never were a patient one, Major. Philonus stated plainly. "Voss is dead. Those dishonorable savages shot him right in the face during a truce."

Polk squinted in bewilderment. "We've always honored an armistice. It's just basic military courtesy. They have to know that an action like that would lead directly to war. A war they'd never win."

"I guess it proves that God created the ape in his own image." Philonus replied "Only a creature without a soul would stoop that low. Aden and Cyrus were killed too. Rence ordered an immediate attack and sent me back here to pull reinforcements. Unfortunately, I got bogged down in both the High Hills and the Flat Lands. I should have been there and back by now. Besides we're going to eventually have to make a push due to the increasing human presence on our boarders. There's more Polk and that's why I'm meeting with the staff tonight and not waiting until morning. The reason the humans are acting so boldly is because they've found a way into the ancient capital. That's where I came from."

Polk stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly his differences with the Colonel seemed to evaporate. "The city? There's a way in, Sir? I couldn't agree more; we need to gather as many apes as possible and push towards the old capital. If they secure those ruins it won't matter if we control the Flat Lands, the High Hills or half of the planet. We'll be finished."

**Old Washington, DC**

The gorillas grunted as they pressed their backs against the object and pushed off with their legs. A few feet off in the distance, Hayes pulled on the rope running through the makeshift pulley system he'd thrown together.

"It's working," Hayes grunted out as he tugged harder. "A little more … keep going … Ok, there … get it stable …" The astronaut gave a few more instructions and occasionally consulted March. Once he was satisfied he ended with "Alright, that's it! It's up"

"Nice going General." Hayes said as he slapped Grazot on the back. "I might just let you stay on …as my personal slave, of course." He added, followed by a laugh.

The winded gorilla smirked and raised an arm like he was about to return the favor, except with much more force.

"As soon as you two adolescents are finished I'd like you to look at something" March interrupted looking at Hayes.

"Sure Tom" Hayes replied "What is it?"

March waved him over to the pod they'd just unearthed. Once Hayes rounded the edge the Air Force Major pointed into what looked like a midsized cockpit. The expression on Hayes's face changed as he noted the faint colored lights. Without speaking Hayes stepped inside and swiped away the dust and soil. He instinctively blew on the panel once most of the dirt was gone.

"_Oberon; Pod-3" _the man read aloud. "…_United States Air Force_" He turned his head back towards March and said, "Tom, it's American and it still has power."

"I know. There are faded markings on the side as well" March replied "But it's decades beyond anything I've ever seen, including the _Dreadnaught_. Think it'll fly?"

"I don't know. Probably not like this" the man guessed. "You're right about one thing though, it's definitely advanced. These relays are one hundred percent computer driven. I'll say this; if there's even a point zero, zero, zero two percent chance it will get us off this rock, I'm willing to take it."

"What's your analysis? What do you think it will take to find out?" March asked.

Hayes scratched his head. "I'll have to figure out the power source, its internal workings, and things like that. Look here, the fuel ratios are high. Whatever the internals of thing are, they're pretty solid. It's certainly preserved the fuel in those tubes. The object itself looks fairly in tact too. I'll have to check with White. Maybe she'll have some kind of insight."

The two men turned as Lieutenant Berger came into view. He passed them both and went directly towards the gorillas. He looked up at the group and simply stated "General Narr is dead. He'd lost too much blood and Captain White thinks some of his internal organs may have been pierced. She did what she could but in all honesty there wasn't a lot she really could do. I'm very sorry."


	32. Chapter 32: Rumors of War

**Old Washington, DC **

"Ten Days." Berger stated. "I'll be back in ten days with enough troops to secure this place tight. …I hope. The problem is that you'll most likely have company within the next week. If Karen can't patch into the Orbital Defense Net, you're going to have to figure something else out. The area is too large to secure."

Berger was correct. The ruins went on for miles. It would take months to explore and catalog. Setting up defenses with a handful of people was next to impossible.

"Good luck, LT" March said as he shook the man's hand.

"Yeah, stay safe out there." Hayes added.

"I should say the same to you. Try not to blow up the city, or what's left of it anyway." Berger replied with a smile and a sloppy salute. "Oh, and it'll be nice not having to look at your ugly face anymore" he added turning to Ogden and slapping the ape on the back.

"It's no much the face as it is the smell." March said, joining in on the jest.

"Pretty clever …for a couple of officers" the ape replied. "So, what do I have to do to get you to leave; throw a stick?"

"In all seriousness, I probably should head out" Berger responded. "I could take the route we came in on, but with the fail-safe offline I can save time using a more direct path. The problem there is; it takes me very close to Ceasera. If I leave now, I'll pass through that area in the early morning; better cover and less chance for capture"

"Here" Ogden said as he pinned his Contingent's crest on the man's chest.

Berger gave the gorilla a puzzled look.

"It's kind of a tradition we have back home" Ogden replied. "Soldier's from different Contingents often exchange such things when they part ways. It's meant as symbol of comradery"

Burger fumbled through his pockets and pulled out an old, tarnished circular object. Long ago it had served as a timepiece. Now it was just a worn piece of metal. He handed it to Ogden "Here, I found this when I was teen. I've always carried it for luck."

The Lieutenant checked his gear and rations one last time before he headed out towards Rockwell. Normally a couple of the senior enlisted soldiers would report back but everyone else was dead. And time was simply too critical. Deep inside part of him was glad to be leaving. The man had gotten used to having apes around but a lifetime of intolerance towards the species was hard to extinguish. He genuinely liked and respected Ogden but he'd fought a growing urge to somehow kill Kutos. After all, if the situation was reversed and Sergeant Franks had lived, Berger was sure he'd be screaming; _revenge,_ from the grave.

"Ok everyone," Berger said with a wave "I need to move out."

The others repeated their good-byes as the man walked off. He eventually disappeared from sight. Within minutes their thoughts drifted back to the more immediate problem.

"Any luck on that network feed?" Hayes asked Captain White.

"No. And I'm doubtful I'll ever be able to patch into it." She replied "The damage is extensive and the subroutines that aren't corrupted are hyper-encrypted. Complete circuit relays are melted or fused and entire sections of the _Sat_ and wireless feeds no longer exist. It's a mess. However, I have some unrelated good news. I'm pretty sure I can power up that contraption you uncovered."

"You're joking" Hayes replied with enthusiasm "Did you find a way to adapt the Nuclear Cells?"

"No, whatever powers the pod isn't nuclear" White said "…well not in that sense anyway. It uses a solid propellant to produce an ion thrust which electromagnetically pushes out of the sides of the craft. But the energy rods that control the weapon you found are not only compatible but completely adaptable. They can be fitted to the power nacelles quite easily."

Hayes cocked his head in confusion. "How did you figure that out? I've been messing with the onboard computer for two days and haven't even…"

"I modified one of the rods" White jumped in "and I was able to access the engine schematics. I was going to tell you but I have other things to worry about right now. I was actually trying to test the interfaces. See if I could link into the ODN system though the ships controls. That field-pad you gave me is too basic. It's more designed for navigation and positioning via GPS."

White stopped as she took a drink of water from a canteen. She wiped her mouth and changed the topic. "I'll be honest, Captain. I still find this, _lost in time_, saga unbelievable, but on the other hand your, um …familiarity with these ruins and certain historical data has me somewhat perplexed. If you want to fly away on some delusion, I'm not here to stop you. The Orbital Defense Net is my number one priority. If that's up, it's worth a hundred of those vessels. However, that ship has great tactical potential. Once General St James hears about it, your trip to the stars will be cancelled and he'll have that thing gutted and reverse engineered. And I haven't even gotten into what he'll do with that energy weapon. It's beyond any relic we've ever discovered. And if you get in his way, it will be the last thing you do. Trust me on that. St James is interested in one thing and that's winning this war. If you sway from that agenda, you'll pay a heavy price"

"I can understand that." March answered for Hayes. "He has his agenda and we have ours. But I agree on one point; we need to get back to the more immediate situation. What are the options if we can't link to the ODN? If we don't have a defensive plan in position by the time that ape army arrives, the only place any of us will be flying, is to the pearly gates."

"Jonny, go with her and see if you can provide some insight." March continued. "I'm going to get to some high ground and see if I can't figure something out. Where are Grazot and Kutos, anyway?"

"They burned the remains of General Narr earlier and I think General Grazot is out looking around. He's gotten used to repeating rifles but he's still somewhat obsessed with all of this. I'm not sure where Kutos is. Probably out there with him" Hayes replied.

***** 60 minutes later**

General Grazot sat crouched on a buckled piece of concrete. His thoughts drifted off to his fallen comrades as he surveyed the demolished airfield around him. He found himself oddly thinking of his wife who'd he married strictly for political purposes. In a small way he genuinely missed her, though he had no clue as to why. Their relationship had been anything but passionate. Still, she'd always been kind and a good helpmate. He wasn't getting homesick but was feeling a strong urge to leave all of this. The gorilla longed to get back to something more familiar…more stable. With the death of Narr, he was now the senior General. He wasn't so narrow-sighted on acquiring advanced weapons as he was when the men first arrived. He'd seen and experienced too much to stay in that world, but it was in his nature to lead. His ache for power was still flickering. With Sullen gone or dead or whatever, he could assume command and build a society with realistic foundations.

"Muskets" he sarcastically mumbled under his breath. He shook his head in disgust. Grazot wasn't one to pretend when his instincts told him differently. Those apes were a grave threat but so were the humans. Berger's mannerisms, towards Kutos, hadn't escaped his notice. It was funny though, at least the humans seemed to be men of their words. They could be tolerated but only if the balance of power was equal. Or better yet, tipped in his favor. _Once things are secure, I'll pack some of those repeaters and munitions and head back_. He decided deep down within.

"Ok, I'm just about ready. Remember it's going to be heavy" March said to Kutos.

Grazot turned his attention to the two below. He asked if he could help but March shook his head and said "Not right now anyway."

Kutos had no idea what he was looking at. Most of the airfield remains were extremely damaged and scattered so far across the landscape that they seemed to blend in with the rest of the scenery. Rusted metal and mangled steel lie half buried in dirt and rock as if it had been there since creation. Oddly enough though, a small part of an old craft had caught the attention of his human ally. The nose, cockpit and the entire port wing, of a damaged plane, was still recognizable. Of course to the gorilla none of it looked familiar.

March directed the ape, here and there, as he struck the metal latches holding the missile in place. It popped out and dropped a half inch as they both steadied the projectile and pulled it completely free. The man and the gorilla gently placed it on the ground next to the other they'd just removed. It all seemed unnatural to the ape. The human possessed a strange familiarity with the contraption. March was climbing and examining the mechanism as if he'd built it himself. _Man is a mystery, that's certainly a fact,_ the ape thought.

"It isn't going to be fun, but we have to get these back." March stated.

They examined some of the additional wreckage. March occasionally collected other items of interest. It took a few trips but they ultimately brought back what he said was needed.

**Ceasera – Approximately 1:15 am**

Sullen cursed under his breath as he put pressure down on his leg. The pain was still present but steadily becoming manageable. Thanks to genetic manipulation done to his species centuries ago, his immune and recuperative abilities were well beyond what they'd normally be. However he'd still walk with a small limp the rest of his life. Some damage couldn't be repaired.

He cursed again when he thought of having to return to this mad house. He'd have avoided it completely but circumstances beyond his control made that idea unrealistic. If Polk hadn't sent a dispatch to Ulysses, he most likely would have avoided the city altogether and headed directly for the nearest _EOC_, (*_Electronic Operations Center_) signal. The courier had implicit instructions to recall the entire group, by order of Colonel Philonus.

While the soldiers busily made ready to break camp, the Prefect managed to secure a stallion, a few supplies, and the EOC computing device. Their field cook had come across a nest of rattlers he was going to fry. Sullen, very subtly, 'liberated' a couple of the serpents. One was tossed into the tent housing the small militia, as they slept. The other he'd used to spook the horses pulling the supply wagon. The Prefect slipped into the darkness and rode off as the chaos escalated. He was hours away before anyone noticed.

Unknown to Polk or Ulysses was a little fact that he'd kept very much to himself. As a child he'd been forced to memorize the authentication codes for the location of weapons that were tagged and hidden. But not all of them were physically placed by his ancestors. Many were secured much earlier by humans.

The last half century of human dominance was riddled by war, skirmishes, and terrorism. It finally ended in an exchange of nuclear, atomic, and conventional bombardments. Ground warfare became so precise that the US placed transponder chips in every rifle built. It decreased accidents due to friendly fire but was also very convenient at targeting hostiles that illegally acquired the weapons. The EOC, he now possessed, housed every code of every weapon ever constructed.

The news the courier brought had every ape in the camp talking about the mysteries buried within this magical wonderland. The computing device was mostly useless without the technical manual but Sullen still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Just after he'd lifted it, he'd used what his father called a _soft-ping_. The ape manually entered an authentication code. Once recognized and accepted, it _pinged_ all transponder codes within its range. The closest were three large crosshairs over what had once been Maryland, Virginia, and The District of Columbia. But it also picked up signals from Ceasera.

A month earlier the Prefect promised himself he was going to rebuild his civilization; even if he had to start with just himself. He knew his chances were slim and he knew he'd probably die but he wasn't going down without trying. Securing those weapons would greatly help his odds. But first he needed to slow down Polk, Ulysses, and this new ape Colonel who'd surfaced. And he had an idea on just how to do that.

The city was relatively quiet but there were several pockets of soldiers and the occasional civilian spread throughout. Random patrols walked the streets but things appeared to be routine. Most of the soldiers were near the factory and adjacent buildings. A few pubs were open and apes wandered in and out. The Prefect composed himself as a couple of young chimps rounded the corner and saluted.

"Oh, I beg your pardon Sir. I didn't see you" one said as he moved around the Prefect.

Sullen was in a uniform wearing the rank of Lieutenant on his chest. He'd randomly grabbed it along with a few other items when he'd vacated the campsite. The ape looked a little old to be playing Lieutenant but the dark morning sky, accompanied by the fact no one was really paying much attention, nicely hid that truth.

He glanced down at the device. One tiny green arrow was leading him towards the lab where he'd been shot in the knee. It took some doing but he managed to make his way there. _Just what the doctor ordered,_ Sullen thought to himself as he glanced at the guard sitting on the chair struggling to stay awake. He stood back in the shadows trying to casually blend in, as he waited for the soldier to nod off.

_Alright Prefect, do your stuff_, the orangutan thought. Sullen offhandedly glanced around to make sure no one was in the area. Once he was convinced it was safe, he fought the pain, crouched down and leapt to a ledge two-thirds of the way up. He worked his way to the roof as quickly as possible. Once on top, he looked around one last time to insure he hadn't been spotted. The soldier below was snoring away as he dreamed of better days with a lovely female companion.

The skylight was boarded, covering the broken glass caused by the factory explosions earlier that month. The ape pulled the planks back as gently as possible and peered in. The building was vacant. Below he noticed the table where the lab tech had retrieved the rifle and just beyond was the spot where he'd been shot. The floor was still stained with his blood.

Sullen sized up the situation. Using the rafters, he shimmied his way down to the top of a large cabinet on the opposite side of the room. The ape extended himself as far as he could and clumsily dropped down. The sound seemed to be louder than normal as it echoed through the open space. The Prefect cursed under his breath wondering if it had disturbed the guard. It had. Mumbling accompanied by the sound of a latch turning confirmed the Prefect's fears. He pressed against the side of the cabinet so tightly that he felt like part of it.

"Bloody rats" the soldier mumbled as he took a quick glance around the room. The ape took a couple of steps inside, turned left, and then right. He was about to leave as he noticed the light shining on a particular spot in the adjacent room.

"That's weird" The chimp said to himself as he scratched his head.

He strode through the door and towards the light, stopping just shy of the beam. He heard a slight _crunch_ that caught his attention. He moved his boot back and squatted down. "Glass" he said. It sounded more like a question than a statement. He noticed a few more small pieces and then automatically gazed upward. Two of the boards were missing. "Hmmm", he muttered. "I wonder what …"

As if a light switch had been flipped inside his mind, the Private's brain immediately put all the pieces of the puzzle together. He stood erect and reached for his weapon but never finished the gesture. An odd sensation had set in. It was pain. His vision spotted, then went white and finally black.

The soldier fell over as Sullen clubbed him a third and then a forth time with the metal stool. The Prefect turned his head and emotionally prepared himself as he used the piece of furniture to finish the ape off. _All or nothing_, he told himself as he crushed the life out of the ape. _No loose ends_

Sullen was shaking as he removed the blood spotted lab coat hooked on the wall. He wiped blood from his boots, hands, and face and then draped it over the dead simian. He wanted to move faster but was having a hard time focusing. "Get it together" he told himself again and again.

He steadied his paw as he quietly spoke the authentication codes and pinged for the rifle. He followed the signal to the large wooden cabinet he'd dropped on earlier. It was locked with a steel latch. It took some work, but he managed to pry it loose using the metal leg of a second stool that was close by.

Inside were a number of crates. They ranged in size and depth. Sullen removed a few of the larger boxes and placed them on the table. He slowly passed a finger over the surface as he read the inscriptions. "_Field … Reconnaissance … Munitions … Unknown_ … ah here it is, _Weaponry_". He unbolted the latch and removed the cover. The box contained several sections of a dismantled M-16. The various pieces were tagged and labeled. He moved his paw through the sea parts.

"That does me no good" He stated. The Prefect paused as ideas flashed through his mind. He took the EOS and moved it above the crate. _Nothing_ he noted "I must be too close."

Several minutes and several searches later he found what he was looking for in a box marked; _Working Model_. He didn't have time to celebrate. Sullen collected the rifle and turned to the carton labeled _Munitions_. He knew just what to take and his timing could not have been better. Just outside he could hear someone screaming for the guard who was no longer at his post.

"Private Kadon, where in blazes are you?" the voice shouted as the already cracked door opened exposing the bloody corpse on the floor.

"I'm right here." Sullen replied, startling the ape.

The soldier had no idea what was happening as the invisible Cobalt Disruptor raised havoc with his central nervous system. The gorilla twitched as Sullen smothered the simian with the blood soaked lab coat. Once the job was done, the Prefect gathered his supplies and walked out the front of the building.

He worked his way back through the city, intentionally avoiding the factory. It took some finesse but he eventually made it to the outskirts of town and through the open field just beyond. Getting around the sentry post was trouble-free. The two guards were awake but playing a game of cards. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he was back where he'd tied his horse.

His plan had worked. Ulysses was probably less than an hour behind but it didn't matter. He'd secured what he'd come for and now all that remained was to execute the last stage of the scheme. Sullen popped the magazine into place and flipped the switch to, _HE_. The mechanical magazine _clicked_ and locked the round into place. Next, the ape sighted on the sentry post and squeezed the trigger. It went up in a large ball of fire. Without hesitation he gazed through the scope. The auto-targeting schema signaled a lock. Sullen fired again and again. Multiple explosions went off in succession. At this point, the ape picked a few random buildings and fired yet again.

Faint cries and shouting began as the small barrage ended and the fires began. Back in Ceasera, Captain Sarref was doing his best to maintain order. The captain was bleeding from a head wound but in much better shape than the other soldier. The High Explosive rounds had killed most of the platoon stationed around the factory. More than two-thirds of the factory now covered their bodies.

"There …at about two o'clock" a soldier shouted "That's where he is. I saw a muzzle flash."

"A muzzle flash?" Sarref replied "That was artillery, you moron."

"Was it, Sir?" the Sergeant shouted through all of the chaos. "Did you hear any heavy gun fire from their howitzers? Besides, there's no way the humans could navigate that kind of equipment through that kind of terrain."

Captain Sarref paused. The ape had a point. But it had to be artillery. Half of the city was ablaze. Small arms fire wasn't capable of doing one tenth of the damage he was witnessing.

"Grenades" he concluded. "We've been raided. Ok Sergeant whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I don't care if you have to swim through the flames. You make it to the closest Artillery unit and bring down everything in a thousand meter radius. I'll round up survivors here and search for intruders. They couldn't be hiding too far."

The ape didn't reply. Instead, he leapt over some rubble and headed for the support unit, as ordered.

Back on the hilltop the gloating simian inspected the city through the starlight scope on his recently acquired rifle. The Prefect peered through in amazement. It not only looked like daylight, but he felt that he could actually reach out and touch the flames. He watched the apes scurrying about. _How could a species so highly intelligent be equally as lethal?_ He wondered. Sullen considered firing a few more round but he didn't want to waste ammunition. He couldn't resupply and besides, he'd just stuck a knife in their industrial heart.

"How do you like that you pragmatic, condescending, bag of wind?" the ape rhetorically directed at the absent Major Polk.

Sullen was a politician, not a military strategist. If Grazot, March, or Hayes had fired on the city, they would have all been long gone by now. The ape was too busy gloating in ignorance. After all, he was well beyond their reach. He'd won. What could they do him now?

The answer came in a loud whistle followed by an ear shattering _boom;_ then another and another after that. They were far enough away and only peppered him with dirt but it came close enough to scare him sober. His horse wined and broke free from the branch it was tied too. The steed galloped off into the darkness heading directly for the city.

The explosions shocked the Prefect so suddenly that he squeezed the trigger and sent another HE round directly into city. That mistake almost cost him life. The forward observer noted the muzzle flash and signaled adjustments to the combat support unit. They, in turn, shifted their trajectory and fired several more shells from every gun in the battery.

Sullen crouched as explosions went off just in front of his position. Fear and animalistic instincts overrode his reason and intellect. The Prefect darted through the darkness in the opposite direction as fast as his appendages would take him. His heart was beating rapidly and his lungs gulped in the oxygen. So much adrenalin was coursing though his system that his _bad_ knee was temporarily acting as his _good_ knee. He ran for what seemed like miles using both the ground and the trees …whatever was handy or convenient. _Faster … faster,_ shot through his mind.

As if out of nowhere he sensed something to his front. Sullen hit the object at full speed. He lost balance and tumbled several feet before his simian dexterity took control and steadied his fall.

He quickly rose and swung around. There on the ground lying unconscious was a stinking human.

**Ceasera – Approximately one hour later**

Philonus woke to the sound of distant thunder. He rubbed his face trying to push the fatigue away. He was still half asleep when the pounding on his door started. _What could be so darn imperative at this hour,_ the ape thought? His response came in the form of more pounding followed by the shouting of his name.

"Come in, Come in" he yelled back. _This had better be good_, he thought.

The door swung open and Philonus squinted as the light from the oil lamp filled the room, temporarily blinding him.

"Get that blasted thing out of my face" the ape snarled. "And tell me what's so dreadfully vital that I have to be woken from a sound sleep with an artillery bombardment on my bedroom door"

Polk laughed at the irony of the statement but kept it to himself. He ignored the ape's demeanor and sternly stated "We're been attacked, Sir".

For the next several moments, the Major filled his commanding officer in on what had transpired. Philonus took in what he could but was simply overtired. He'd been out late finishing his rounds. Instead of coming home, having a hot meal, and going to bed; the workaholic stayed up reviewing several days' worth of progress reports. He was now paying the price for that foolish decision.

"Why aren't you out there seeing to things? You should have sent a messenger" the Colonel barked out.

"With all due respect, Sir, it's _you_ who should be out there." Polk responded bluntly. "I've tasked several details. Graves Registration is tending to the dead. There are medical personnel attending to our wounded and one of the officers' onsite had our eastern Artillery Battery pounded the daylights out of their escape route. Patrols are searching for enemy saboteurs but I need to stress again that we're crippled."

"You saw the factory, then?" Philonus asked in calmer but serious voice.

"No Sir, I saw what was left of it." Polk replied. The statement would have sounded humorous if it hadn't been so true.

"Tell me Major, how long could we maintain an offensive attack?" Philonus asked.

"One, maybe two days, Sir" Polk replied. "But the factory is gone. It will be six months to year before were … Well, you know what I mean"

As if he were reading the Colonel's mind the ape did his best to nip the _butt-chewing_ in the bud. "Sir," he continued. "It's my opinion that the humans hit us with some kind of relic; probably from the old capital. The city is suffering damage on the scale of a fully Artillery onslaught, but no howitzers were seen. It's like the buildings ignited by themselves. A few muzzle flashes were all that anyone saw."

"You get boots on the ground and confirm that. Do you hear me?" Philonus ordered.

Polk nodded and the Colonel continued; "Next, you let some of the junior officers and senior NCOs handle the damage and clean up. Get the staff and every senior officer together. We're going to assess this and hit back. I'm tired of those furless fleas biting at my pelt."

They'd had their differences but Polk was in full agreement. This was becoming like a plague.

If it wasn't contained and dealt with, everyone was going to die.

"I wonder what kind of relic could fire invisible artillery shells" Philonus mumbled as he fumbled around for his clothes.

Polk's mind flashed back to the weapons demonstration Lant had given with the confiscated weapons. _Oh no!_ shot through his head _…the lab. I have to get to the lab_

He dismissed himself and headed out towards the opposite side of town.


	33. Chapter 33 All Roads Lead to Washington

**Ceasera **

Polk adjusted the reigns as his steed jumped over the rubble and galloped down the road. He was pressing his luck with the beast. The damage was everywhere and if he didn't slow down the horse would certainly break a leg, or worse, cause him to break one. However, luck stayed with him as he strode closer and closer to his destination. He felt the pressure of time weighing on his nerves. Philonus was expecting him to pull the staff together but he had a strong sense telling him something was wrong at the lab.

He could feel the heat as he approached the damaged parts of the city. Off in the distance, buildings burned lighting up the sky as if it were day. _Just a little more_, he thought to himself as the silhouette of the building came into view. Everyone's attention was on the smoldering factory and containing the various fires.

Polk arrived at the lab to see Captain Sarref and a squad of soldiers off in the distance. He saluted as he came closer. The Captain reported on the circumstances up this point. He stated that he was sweeping other parts of the city for any human saboteurs that were possibly hiding.

"Listen," Polk said. "I want you to lead a patrol into the woods east of here. Find out what hit us and how…if you can. Then turn things over to one of the senior NCOs and meet me in the capital building."

The Captain acknowledged the order and went on his way. Polk dismounted and tied the reins to a nearby post. His gut feeling was confirmed as he noticed the missing guard and the half opened door. _Maybe he's checking the interior_ the Major thought, trying to remain as positive as possible.

Once inside his worst fears were confirmed. He paused as he looked at the bloody bodies on the floor. The humans had somehow managed to infiltrate the city and steal the relic. The ape brought a paw to his chin and sighed. "How?" He seethed, gritting his teeth. "We're going to lose this war if we don't get our heads out of our…" He paused as a greater priority overrode his thoughts. _This is ultimately my fault. Philonus specifically put this responsibility on my shoulders._ And the Colonel had done just that. It was his way of telling Polk that if he was going to let Ulysses off the hook, his neck was now going to be put on it. The factory was bad enough, but the loss of these relics would most assuredly equal a death sentence.

An idea formed in the ape's head. He grabbed a large sack from a supply closet in the corner. He went over to the security cabinet and filled it with what he could. Next, he went to the open containers on the table and took what he need from them. Once satisfied, the ape secured the items to the horse, tried outside. _Thank the good Lord for efficiency_, he thought. Sarref had sectioned off the whole vicinity. There were no apes were in the immediate area.

Polk reached in the satchel and removed a small box. He went back into the lab and piled papers, clothes, and anything flammable he could find in the center of the floor. He struck the flint and lit the pile on fire. He fanned it for a few seconds to insure it took. The flames caught quickly and began to expand. "I'll have to make sure to personally thank St James," he joked to himself. "Ok, just one more stop" he added. And with that the Major departed.

He arrived at his next destination and was thankful to see light coming from a window. His heart raced a little as his mind reminded him that Philonus was probably wondering where he was at this very moment. _All things in due time_ he assured himself. _I'll deal with that problem soon enough._

_Bam-bam-bam_, he pounded. "Doctor Avaya, open up!" _Bam-bam-bam_, he pounded once more with waiting for a reply.

"Oh what is it now? Keep your blasted pants on. I'm coming" the voice behind the entrance stated.

When the door opened, Polk didn't wait to be invited inside. He stepped in and swung the bag around. "I need your help doctor. As you know we've just been attacked".

"Keep your voice down Major" the female doctor scolded. "I have children who I just got back to sleep. Every soldier in this city seems to think that beating down this door is his number one priority."

"My apologies Avaya" Polk said in almost a whisper. "You know section seven article twelve, states that key personnel are to be accounted for in the event of a raid. But that's not why I'm here. I need your help. We …you… need to assemble this. And I need it done quickly."

Major Polk pressed the issue sternly, but, as good-natured as possible. He didn't answer any of her inquiries as to why or how he'd come across this stuff. Once everything was assembled and verified, he slipped out just as quickly as he'd arrived. Before departing he put two gold coins in her hand and said. "This is our little secret. Right my dear?"

The doctor shook her head in amazement. This was almost six month income. "Sha… Sure … Major" she smiled, "Our little secret".

About thirty minutes later he arrived back at the capital. The staff meeting was well in progress. Philonus was irritated but kept his professional composure. He simply said "You're late, Major."

"Yes Sir," Polk replied. "I apologize. I was out taking care of what you asked me to. It took some time to navigate through the wreckage …Longer than I anticipated"

The half-lie seemed to work so the ape went on. "Patrols are out investigating the eastern boarder and …" He paused for a split second, as he noticed Ulysses sitting in the room. "Umm, excuse me … patrols are looking into the source of the bombardment. I went to make sure that certain relics were secure." Polk ended by laying the assembled rifle and bag on a table in front of Philonus. His eyes, however, were fixed on Major Ulysses.

Philonus kept silent as he sized up the ape. In his opinion, Polk had always been a competent officer. The Major was also a pain in the rear. He'd risen quickly through the ranks, but in the Colonel's opinion, the ape had fallen short this time. Obviously he was too inexperienced to handle the burden of absolute command. Philonus couldn't blame him for the attempt though. According to their military edicts, Polk didn't have a choice. He was the senior ape and like it or not command had been his to bear.

Philonus finally nodded and turned his attention back to the others. He gave specific instructions to the various officers and NCOs in the room. He beat the drums war so hard that even Polk found himself longing to take a rifle and change at the enemy.

"Five hours, my friends." He concluded. "We mobilize in five hours. You all have your orders. All coordination will be directed through Majors Polk and Sidon …Dismissed!"

_Sidon?_ Polk thought. _That's odd._ _Why isn't Ulysses…? _The sharp sound of his name caused the thought to stop in its tracks.

"Major Polk, Major Ulysses, You are to remain behind." The Colonel ordered.

The soldiers hurried out of the room to make preparations. Once it was empty, Philonus lowered his military bearing and bluntly said "Sit down"

"What's this about Sir?" Polk asked still standing.

Philonus drew a pistol and pointed it directly at Polk. Ulysses, who was already sitting flinched. "Discipline and duty" The Colonel said slowly lowering the weapon. "Sit down, Polk. I won't ask you again."

The soldier sat as Philonus kept talking. "You're both lucky I need you or you'd be lying in a ditch right now as some enlisted volunteers shoveled dirt over your dead bodies. And I may just see you there yet. Things are such a mess that I don't know where to even begin to unravel them. This Visitor you sent off with Ulysses … some State official or something, with promises of buried treasure … Did you know he escaped?"

Polk didn't. He knew Ulysses had been recalled but he assumed Sullen was back in prison. This was the second time the Colonel had gotten the drop on him. All Polk could think of in reply with is, "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened." Philonus said as his face tightened. "Our esteem Major here lost the Visitor, the relic he possessed, and several scarce supplies. That's what happened. Five apes were poisoned by rattlers. But please Ulysses, tell the Major here how it all happened. Explain to him how one orangutan, a civilian none the less, duped an entire platoon"

For the next twenty minutes Ulysses told his version of the story. It would have only taken ten but Philonus jumped in with editorial comments, every other sentence. Ulysses stated that he believed Sullen headed back this way but they'd lost the tracks about two-thirds of the way home. When it was over Polk felt tired and fatigued. For the first time ever, Polk was in agreement; Ulysses needed to be executed for dereliction of duty.

"Do you think this orangutan had anything to do with the sabotage?" Philonus asked.

As if a knife had been stuck in his heart, Polk began to spin the best lie he could conjure. "Sir, I honestly believe that two situations are unrelated. You said it yourself; humans are in the ancient capital. Who knows what's been discovered by now. Besides after his last attempt to steal the rifle, I had the items moved and secured. The Techs now let me know what they need and I sign the objects out as necessary."

"See for yourself" he added pointing to the items he'd brought in. "The working model is right there. Even if he managed to get to the lab there would have been little for him to take".

Philonus couldn't deny what was staring him right in the face. "Ok, fine. If he's here we'll eventually find him. We've been planning this attack for the last few days. Polk, you're managing the coordinated push. You have work to do. Ulysses, fortunately for you, I need that tactical brain of yours for a different piece of the mission. Let's get to work gentleapes."

**Approximately 3.5 miles east of Ceasera**

Sullen rubbed the bump on his head. He wasn't sure if he'd gotten it from colliding with the unconscious human or when he struck the tree. It really didn't matter. What did was the fact that he needed to keep moving. To where, he didn't know. But one thing was certain; he was headed in the right direction; away from the explosions.

He was on his paws and knees panting and sweating. _I'll rest for just a second_, he thought, _and then keep going_. The shelling was still going on but the ape was far enough away and felt relatively secure. At least for the moment anyway. He looked at the human and noted the supplies.

"Water" he concluded, looking at the canteen. He rolled the man over and popped the tin cylinder loose. "Who knows what ailment I'll catch drinking after a savage like you but one thing's certain; without water I'll die regardless." The ape took a long satisfying drink.

Sullen looked down at the man considering what else he could salvage. For a second he wondered if the human was dead or simply unconscious. The Prefect noted Lieutenant Berger's chest moving up and down, answering his question. But something well-known immediately caught his eye. There it was pinned to his right sleeve.

"That crest" he said in shock "… The Central Contingent … how?"

Something else looked familiar, almost too familiar. Sullen knew of the tradition. The crest was pinned exactly where it 'should' be or where it would be if two ape contingents met in the field. If the human had taken it off the carcass of a dead soldier, why would he pin it to his sleeve?

Berger moaned as his eyes blinked. His head was spinning as the oxygen jumpstarted his external senses. "What happened?" He mumbled rhetorically. He sat up and rubbed his face with both hands. The loud sounds of distant artillery quickly reminded him of where he was. Berger fumbled for his rifle and then his pistol.

"Don't waste your time Human." Sullen said.

Berger turned to see an orangutan pointing a rifle at him.

**Old Washington, DC, the following morning**

The Air Force Major scratched at the stubble on his cheek as he mulled over the options before him. He let the different scenarios run though his head as he stared at his colleague and considered what he'd just been told.

"So Tom, what do you think?" Hayes asked a second time.

March answered the question with one of his own. "You're sure about this Jonny; it'll fly?"

"We're going in circles, Sir" Hayes replied showing his frustration. "I've spent the last six hours running the numbers, testing the data, and familiarizing myself with the controls. Is it a one hundred percent given we'll head strait for home? No, of course not, but what is? I've done everything I could think of. The field-pad statistics have been entered. That was synced with the _Dreadnaught's_ data. The pod is charged and …well that's about it. Tom, this is like finding the lost treasure of King Solomon. We hit the jack-pot here! We have a ship; a state-of-the-are working ship."

"I get it Jonny. Believe me, I get all of it. But leaving on the spur of the moment like this. I'm not sure I could walk out like that and be able to look at myself in the mirror. Without our help …more your help …They'll all be slaughtered." March replied.

"I understand that and share some of it too. As much as I want to get back I don't like the idea of running out. And in all honesty, I don't have anything to really go back to. I don't talk about this much, but if Michelle were waiting for me, I might feel differently about it. I know you have a wife and kids and even grandkids. If we leave now, you have a shot at being with them and we don't die defending a bunch of technology. I wanted to give you that choice." Hayes stated.

"And I appreciate it! The absence of my family does tug at my soul. Maybe not so much where my wife is concerned though" March joked "I'm more than ready to get off this rock, but not until I'm sure that St James and his troops are here. Or that the ODN is accessible"

"There's more Tom" Hayes said in a very serious tone. "I know it flies, because I flew it about three _Klicks_ this morning while you were placing that equipment. It was too close to the action. It's now in a relatively open area. When we decide we're ready, it'll be there waiting for us; safe and sound."

"Look, I need to get back" Hayes said changing the subject. I've got work to do on those missiles you found"

"Have you had a chance to look them over" March asked.

"Honestly Sir, no" Hayes replied. "I've been fascinated with that pod but my MOS (_Military Occupational Skill_) is munitions. I'm finally getting the chance to do what I'd signed up for back home."

The two men walked back to shelter. Hayes went off to look at the arms they'd salvaged and March went off with Grazot. The General had come up with a defensive strategy and wanted the human's input.

"Before we united our territories, certain warlords occupied our outer regions. I was an infant back then and the musket hadn't even been introduced." Grazot paused and shook his head. "Muskets… At the time they were initiated, they turned the tide of the war; a war that had been going on for decades. By the time it finally ended, I held the same rank as you. Most of the territories were conquered but the resisters weren't completely crushed until about fifteen years ago. Anyway, I'm digressing. The battle of Grebek was where muskets were first used. It turned the tide in our favor. We slaughtered a strong warlord named Atilious. It was not only a military victory but put a dagger in the morale of the other tribes."

The General stopped for a second and took a seat. He made a comment about not being as young as he once was and stiffened his back. "But after Grebek our morale was immeasurable. The military leadership at the time assured the ruling Council that the war would end before the first snow."

"So what happened?" March asked.

"Stellos happened" Grazot stated plainly. "It was a backwards village and supposed to be a quick assault; A slaughter. Only it was us who got slaughtered. We sent in with over a thousand apes. They were armed with muskets and carried crude versions of what you'd label grenades. We called them black powder bombs. The locals carried stick and stones. We assaulted the city but they'd prepared. The terrain was anything but flat. There were hills, caves, huge rock formations, and forests, all of it spread throughout the region. The apes were ready. They used the terrain and nature to channel and bog us down. Our arrogant units were hit by ape-made avalanches, huge timber logs, diverted water, muddy terrain, all of it was employed. We had our butts handed to us, Major. They slaughtered every ape we sent save a paw-full."

Grazot stood again and pointed towards the edge of the city. "That area there" he went on to say. "They'll have to march through there in order to get to us. That's where we hit them and hit them hard. Do you think you could somehow rig those stone structures to fall when we need them to?"

"I don't know." March answered. "I could set the explosives. That's not the problem. It's the timing. We'd have to figure out how to remotely detonate or have it trigger by the troops as they pass through."

"I need you to work on that. Can you have a solution by tonight?" Grazot spoke to the man as if he were an officer on his personal staff. March didn't mind it all that much. After all Grazot was an ape but he was also a General and displayed a genuine military prowess.

As if he'd been working with the ape for years he simply replied, "Yes Sir, but I'll have to pull Hayes in on this. He's worked with explosives most of his career. This is right up his alley. Have you considered the fact that they'll have combat support units in place? Mortar units and most assuredly artillery support. If I were commanding the assault, I'd prep the area with artillery for at least fifteen minutes before I sent a single boot forward"

"My guess is that they'll only use their artillery as a last resort; in the event they believe they might lose. This city is too important of prize to simple rain that stuff down indiscriminately." Grazot replied.

"Let's hope they don't have specifics on the city's layout. But I'd say you're probably right. Both ape and human seem obsessed with it; almost as if it were a god" March said.

The apes and humans made their preparations. When necessary each was able to work off the skills of the other. The humans had insight and knowledge. The apes possessed incredible strength. The differences acted as a compliment to the overall mission. They finished up in the early evening as they sat and ate together.

"I'm getting tired of having a diet of rat." Hayes said in disgust. "I don't care if it tastes like chicken or not, I know what it really is."

Grazot was about to make a comment when Kutos rushed into the camp in a panic. "We've got company" he said through panting breath. "Two of them at least"

"Apes or men?" Hayes asked.

"I couldn't tell. They're too far out but definitely heading this way. They're carrying something. It was giving off a faint light." The ape replied.

"They're tracking something" Hayes said guessing at their motive.

"Ogden, go and check it out." Grazot ordered. "You two" he added pointing at the astronauts "Go with him"

The three headed out with Kutos to the observation post they'd established earlier. March peered through the binoculars and said "He's right. They're out there. Its awful dark, but I think they're apes. Whatever he's got is giving off enough light to silhouette his features."

"Ok" Ogden said "They're probably a scouting unit. But it beats me as to why they'd be so stupid and walk out in the open like that"

"Maybe they don't think anyone's here" Hayes guessed a second time

"Let's work in twos." March immediately stated. "Jonny, you and Troop Sergeant Kutos work your way to the right. Use what's left of those old buildings to cover your route. Let them pass. We'll take them once they get closer to the city."

"What do want us to do then?" Kutos asked.

"Recon" March answered. "I want you to work your way down and see if they brought any friends along. You're going to be on your own. Without radios, and with it being so dark, we'll never be able to signal each other. Troop Sergeant Ogden and I will pan left. I want prisoners, so don't fire unless forced to."

Hayes and Kutos gave a nod and headed left as March and Ogden went to the right. "That rock base there" March whispered "We'll use it for cover. Once the pass, I'll come in behind them. You leap on top but stay low. There may be more and you'll be too exposed if you stand."

"I'm guessing they're not alone" Ogden replied. Now that he was closer, the gorilla could see that the ape in front was using some sort of tracking device. "They're honing in on us, just like we did when we went through those stone caves in search of that equipment."

"Who knows what they're doing? That's why I want prisoners." March replied.

Minutes later they reached the base of a large rock formation. March whispered last minute instructions, but basically repeated what he'd said earlier. As the two approached March tensed and gripped his rifle. As they came closer he could hear talking. _That voice_, he thought. _I know that voice. _The Major turned to Ogden who was crouched and out of view.

"I know that voice." He whispered. "It sounds just like Lieutenant Berger". Without waiting for a reply March peered through the binoculars and confirmed his suspicions.

"What the hell?" he asked himself. "It is Berger and he's with an ape. Ok look, this doesn't change things." He said looking back at Ogden. "For all we know, he may have been captured. We'll still let them pass and get our answers once we have them covered." 

Berger and Sullen eventually passed the rocky terrain. As they moved up, March countered moving down. Ogden easily scaled the large boulder but he too noticed something odd. Yes, he recognized Berger's voice but the orangutan's speech was familiar too. It had to be coincidence, he concluded. The Lord Prefect was several months journey from here.

"Now" March shouted, startling their two victims. "Stop right there."

Both Sullen and Berger jumped in surprise. Sullen shot a look at Berger like the man had just swindled him out of his paycheck and said. "You knew they were here. That's why you were so _cooperative_". He sounded out the last word in a bluntly sarcastic manner.

"Lord Prefect! It is you!" Ogden interrupted. "How … I mean"

***** Thirty Minutes later **

"…and that's how I became involved" Berger said. "I was moving northwest when I heard the explosions. I thought St James had somehow attacked the city. I went to investigate and ran into him. …_literally_ ran into him. Thank God you gave me that crest Sergeant or I might be dead."

"I'm still not following this." Hayes admitted "What caused you two to become such bosom buddies."

"It just happened." Berger replied "The Prefect here used that ancient rifle and stirred up a hornets nest. They brought down everything short of the sky on top of us. Once the artillery stopped they sent out patrols. We had no choice but to move out. Engineers are mining the Flat Lands, so I led him here."

"I thought that if I could cripple their military facilities they'd be defenseless." Sullen said in his defense. "There's an armory here and more of these rifles. I'm here to get those and head home. I told the Lieutenant that if he helped me I'd allow him to take some of the spoil for himself."

_Yeah right_, March thought. He didn't trust the orangutan but was keeping quiet. It was obvious that Ogden and Kutos held the ape in a very high and very lofty esteem. Even Grazot still showed slight respect and reverence. Ogden had bluntly protested at the way March originally approached the Prefect, just after the ambush. He refused to let the man lay a hand on him. Kutos fell over himself when he'd recognized his leader. If he pushed this too much they'd all be at each other's throats.

Berger had been upfront with Sullen, but both were initially suspicious. To the Lieutenant, it seemed odd that these apes, _from another nation_, were sprouting up everywhere the man turned. To Sullen it appeared just as strange that an ape would share comradery with a human; let alone to the extent of exchanging his crest with the beast. One might as well toss his gold in the Great Fish Pond. The discovery of that crest and Berger's knowledge of Narr, Grazot and the others was the only thing that kept a very loose alliance from unraveling.

March thought very carefully before stating his next sentence but decided to simply say what was on his mind. "That's a fine speech, Prefect. But the last time you proposed your little coalition, we had knife stuck in our backs. What's so different now?"

"I'm not here for absolution" Sullen answered plainly. "Cities have been destroyed. Countless apes are dead. Friends of mine are gone. So here's your answerer human and it alludes back to what General Grazot stated while we were in that old armory; Instead of chasing you, I should have welcomed you. A wise ape once said, _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_. My wife, my children" he paused … "I need to … no; I must get back to them. You are a threat, human but I'm learning that you're just one of many."

Sullen paused again and pointed at the gorillas "These are my country-apes. We will help you fend off Polk and his ilk and I will arm you while we do, but only because it serves my purpose. When the battle is over I'll either be dead or on my way home."

The conversation went back and forth for awhile, but It was obvious to all that united they might have more of a chance. Captain White was amazed with the EOS. It was much more sophisticated than _Norman_ but worked on many of the same principals. She was able to configure some of the protocols but still couldn't connect to the ODN. March, Berger, Grazot and the Prefect went forward to locate the armory. According to the EOS, it was approximately twelve miles from their current location.

March pulled Grazot aside and said "Are you ok with this? He just waltzes in here and basically states the same bargain as before."

"If you're asking me if I trust him. The answer is _no_" Grazot replied "But I never trusted him before you came. I do understand him though and in this case I also believe him. We're all growing weary. Hayes is so preoccupied with that flying device that I expect him to propose to it any day now. He wants to find his home just like we all do. I find myself thinking of a wife I hardly know. I saw about as much of her back home as I do now; if you get my point. A lot has changed since you've landed. The Lord Prefect is right; we need crush this threat and get on with things. I don't look at myself as the winner in all of this either. Everyone I've served with is dead."

"Yes, a lot has changed" March replied. "I have family waiting for me as well. But I promised Sullen I'd kill him, if I ever saw him again and if he double crosses us, I'll fulfill that promise."

"I assumed as much, seeing the group you assembled. Not exactly the _Sullen Fan Club_, is it? But let's not give him that a chance to let it happen." Grazot replied. "We get the weapons and defend this city. We can revisit things once that's done. Come on, at least there's a full moon out tonight"

***** On day's journey west of Old Washington**

"We'll make camp here." Philonus said to Polk. "Have the Company Commanders tend to security. First Sergeant…" he added shouting to another ape. "Get that chow going I want everyone fed and put to bed. We'll reach our objective by this time tomorrow. I don't need a half fatigued rabble attacking the city."

******* **Colonel Neal's Command Post – sixty minutes later**

"Scouts confirm it." Captain Yuden stated. "There was a massive push out of the ape capital. They're headed east towards Old Washington."

"I just got the reports in myself. St James has ordered us to mobilize. We're to link here with the others, in no less than fifteen hours" Colonel Neal replied as he pointed at the spot on the old map. "I've already got Lieutenant Evans coordinating with the other platoons."

"That's a long way to travel in just fifteen hours. Any idea on what St James is planning?" Yuden replied.

"No, we'll be briefed on arrival. I figure if we take this route here we can save some time. It's rough terrain but a more direct path." Neal said. "Grab the staff. We have a lot to work on."

**The Human Settlement of Rockwell – Somewhere in Old West Virginia **

The scene looked like something from an old war movie. Soldiers were mobilizing, cleaning equipment, kissing family members good-bye, and just about anything else associated when troops were unexpectedly deployed.

The unit sent to old Washington was a week and half late on reporting in. A recon force had been in preparation but the recent Intel reports were showing a massive troop surge in Ceasera. Now that it was confirmed that they'd mobilized, those plans had changed. The old capital was the new priority. Every soldier who could lift a rife was being activated.

As things normalized, the troop massed, made their final preparation and headed out. The winds of war were blowing and soon only one side would be left standing.


	34. Chapter 34: Advancing Armies

**Old Washington, DC **

Thunder reigned down from the sky in the form of 155 mm artillery shells. The exploding ordinance sent stones, bricks and mortar, along with molten steel, in all directions. Grazot's hypothesis that artillery would be used, only as a last resort, had fallen short. And the aggressors weren't walking it in either; they were saturating the area by dropping the ballistics anywhere and everywhere. Hayes watched as buildings just a few meters off, flew apart in an earsplitting bang. At the same moment, two old structures to his left and a large pile of rubble several meters behind him went up in a ball of fiery smoke and dust. Part of the stone slab he was using for refuge cracked as debris slammed into its base. He rolled aside just before gravity and the shaking ground caused it to fall the earth. He shook his head, flinging the grime and pebbles from his hair.

It came suddenly and in rapid succession. The only warning was the whistling of the shells just before impact. "Fall back to the bunker" the man shouted, but no one needed to hear it from him. The apes began their withdrawal, as soon as, the initial rounds sounded. They'd learned quickly. And it really didn't matter since the explosions and noise were drowning out the man's voice.

Several blasts went off simultaneously as a round detonated near the ambush spot March established earlier. The cascading explosions brought rubble crashing down in an almost domino style of fashion. The man swore as he observed several hours of precise preparation disintegrate in mere seconds. He found himself second guessing the decision not to get in the pod and leave immediately. His eyes caught Hayes waving him back. The image was lost as more of the ordinance fell and clouds of red-black powder rose high in the sky.

The Territorial ape forces were in possession of documents and maps containing marked locations of armories, supply depots, and key targets of military significance. Unfortunately for the group occupying the ancient metropolis, the closest point of interest was well within the cities interior and several meters underground. The surface was littered with raw materials that could be salvaged at any time and in any condition. So where they sat now, was fair game. The only thing that saved their lives was the randomness of the barrage. Philonus had no idea how many people actually occupied the old capital, so he was spreading the salvo out over a vast region. The Colonel was convinced that old capital was crawling with humans. It had to be. The city was too big of a prize to simply ignore.

Several kilometers to the west, the massed ape militia was disseminating its Intel in preparation for the next move. Philonus covered his ears as guns fired in rapid sequence. Even from this distance the sound was piercing. He shivered from the cold breeze that rushed in. Winter was marching down the trail and would come calling soon.

Lieutenant Colonel Philonus walked into the tent & warmed his paws against the heat emanating from the old stove in the center. "Has the Alpha runners reported in?" he asked Major Ulysses.

"Nothing yet, Sir". They have to cover several kilometers" The ape replied. "According to the time table though, he's due any minute now". He briefly changed the subject and added. "Get yourself some coffee sir. There's some in that kettle there. …the cups are down there"

"Thank you Major. As soon as you get that report, you let me know" Philonus ordered as he fumbled with hot container. "We can't we make our push until they're in place. This has to be timed just right"

No sooner had Philonus finished the sentence when an ape Corporal stepped in with the update; "Sir Taskforce Alpha just sent their first situation report. The sixty-ninth states: _Enemy__presence__confirmed__but__resistance__is__minimal.__We__'__ve__passed__objective__Oscar__and__are__in__route__to__position__Zulu.__Fifteen__minutes__ahead__of__schedule_".

"Thank you Corporal. For once in my life something is going right" Philonus said as he sipped on the hot beverage. He looked down at the map and slid a finger from _Objective__Oscar_ to _Position__Zulu_. "Major Sidon, inform Taskforce Bravo that they're a go. I want to be on the move in two minutes. Send a rider down to Major Polk. He's to dispatch the special element as soon as we lift our fire."

Philonus grabbed his gear and the special rifle. He gulped down the last swallow of coffee and tossed the cup to a private who was plotting coordinated on a map. Before he departed, the Colonel turned to Ulysses and said "Ok, it's all yours, Major. We'll send word as soon as things are secure. Give me ten minutes and then have the gun lines lift their fire and target this area here. You can stop firing fifteen minutes after that. We still want to have enough of our ordinance available for the final bombardment. But once that box picks up movement," Philonus continued pointing at the small mechanical device. "You send everything we have left. We're going to route those humans right into your line of fire."

Philonus had planned in great detail and things were slowly falling into place. He'd prep the capital with artillery fire while the Sixty-Ninth flanked right. They would make a half circle and come up under the cities backside. The Three-Seventy-Second would flank in the opposite direction and advance on the cities western boarder. The two units would link up in the center and route any defensive units that remained, to the east.

The combat support elements already had predestinated hard targets set. All they needed was to adjust their fire from those points. They would pound the animals to dust as they attempted to regroup. Ulysses possessed one of the few relics the apes discovered years ago; a portable radar station. It wasn't a sophisticated 3-D model but it would suffice for what he had in mind. The problem of course was the same issue the humans faced with their relics; a sustainable power source. Power cells from Ceasera were now being employed to temporarily solve the matter. Once the radar displayed activity, he'd be aware of it immediately and ready to strike swiftly. Simultaneously, Polk would coordinate on the special operations. Their mission was to secure and salvage as many of the objects of importance as they could. It was all or nothing. Once the old capital was secure and free from human retaliation, its spoils could then be exploited by the Territorial Militia.

One and a half Kilometers away, Major Polk stood inside his command tent. He was huddled with several other apes around a medium sized table. It housed a large diagram of the old city. Instructions were being given to each section as he coordinated where to hit first.

"Sergeant Grogan" He said firmly. "You'll support Captain Lucas and his troops by securing the high ground …here. Lucas, of course we can't confirm this, but according to the old capital documents there's a depot right there, ancient artillery or motor equipment of some kind. Secure what you can, link back up with Grogan and use the energy cells to power the artifacts. You might even get lucky and find that the relics have been preserved. You can draw what you need from the quartermaster. I've already told him to expect you. Doctor Ezekiel can assist in the weapon deployment and necessary supplies. He's with the quartermaster now"

Polk paused and scanned the apes, making eye contact with every simian in the tent. He took in a deep breath and exhaled as he continued. "Philonus is certain the region is crawling with human soldiers, so cover and concealment is essential. That's why I picked the first objective. It's in a somewhat remote region, yet houses powerful relics that can tip the tide in our favor. It's a win-win. Hopefully, the human presence won't be significant."

Lucas didn't show his disdain but he was not happy about lugging a civilian along. Civilians just got in the way. Of course, the doctor was a scientist, so his expertise was a necessary evil. _A__win-win__huh?_ The ape thought. _…__Hopefully__there__won__'__t__be__humans,__eh?__Yeah__and__hopefully__I__'__ll__be__able__to__sprout__wings__and__fly._

"Sir", an NCO stated, as he stepped into the tent. "You have a courier from the Colonel, outside with a message".

"Thank you Sergeant" Polk said "I'll be right there. Ok gentleapes, I can only assume those are your movement orders. Let's get ready."

**North of Old Maryland **

"Lieutenant" the human Sergeant shouted at his platoon leader. "What do we do?" Without hesitation he squeezed the trigger and fired into the vegetation beyond.

Their recon unit had been spotted by a colossal ape militia. Two squads died before the Lieutenant even realized he'd walked them into the death trap. His hearing was echoing from the concussion of the grenade volley and gunfire that followed the encounter. He sat stunned as his mind went blank. He wasn't even aware that he'd been hit in the thigh and was bleeding profusely. His eyes were locked on the mangled body of the dead soldier, who just moments ago, was at his side. His left arm and half his head were gone. _What__do__I__do?_ He thought. The answerer to his question came in the form of additional bullets that ripped into his throat, sending his soul forward to join the ranks of the fallen.

"Second Squad" Sergeant Robbins shouted as he concurrently tossed a grenade back at the horde. "Lay down cover fire. Third squad, pull back fifteen meters and lay down suppression fire" Robbins bound the two elements back, one at a time. One would move. The other would cover. It was a solid plan but also a futile one. Within minutes the entire vicinity was flooded by trigger happy simians. The apes quickly executed any survivors and turned their attention back to the mission.

"Any of the wounded who can't keep up, are to be left here, along with food and medical supplies" the ape commander ordered. "Our schedule is too tight. We keep moving"

The ape quickly checked his map and reprimanded a few of the soldiers who were picking at the bodies, in search of spoil. As soon as they were a few kilometers ahead he spotted his first objective and sent a runner back to the command post.

"Amazing, isn't it Sir" the Sergeant said "We're hours away from the knowledge of the ancients and the end of the human pestilence"

"We haven't won yet" The ape replied. "And reports have been coming in stating human movement was spotted to the north. Besides that was a recon element. It tells me there's a larger force in this area somewhere. They're sure to have heard the gun fire. If we're delayed, even by minutes, the whole plan could crumble before it even gets started."

The order to continue was passed throughout the ranks. The apes mounted their horses and moved past _Objective__Oscar_.

**Inside the old command bunker, Old Washington, DC**

Karen White dressed the wounded side of Kutos. He'd been lucky enough to avoid the shelling but not graceful enough to keep from tripping. The gorilla gashed his side in all the commotion. The ape growled like a wild animal as the human poured the antiseptic into the exposed area.

"I told you it would hurt" She said firmly. "You could get one of a hundred infections from that. And this stuff is hard enough to synthesize so just grin and bear it."

On the opposite side of the room the two astronauts were discussing their options.

"…You're sure about this?" March asked.

"I wish I could tell you differently." Hayes replied. "The missile is armed but the delivery systems are corroded and any fuel they possessed has long evaporated. The wired relays are fused. The warhead itself is intact but it would have to be rigged to remotely detonate. And we don't have anything to rig it with. The other warhead went up like the Fourth of July when those shells hit our ambush spot"

"Yeah, I saw that." March stated angrily. "I was hoping we could somehow have it lock onto that transponder code we've been tracking." March said.

"Speaking of that" Sullen interjected "It's no longer stationary".

March glanced at Grazot and tiled his head, signaling for the ape to check things out.

"That's not good, Sir," Hayes stated "They've lifted the artillery and are moving in. But we still have the rifles and equipment we salvaged. They alone are a huge force multiplier. Just one of these things makes you a walking Battalion." It was an overstatement but not by much. "We don't know what we're up against though"

March turned to Karen White and asked the same question he'd asked five times before. "Any luck patching into the ODN, Captain?"

The woman shook her head and said. "No Sir and I don't think we're going to anytime soon. However that story you were telling me earlier. The one when you were on that island and saw a craft of some kind fly by via that 3-D radar. It got me thinking. Thanks to the orangutan's device combined with _Norman__'__s_ Intel, I think I know what you saw. They were short range defensive drones. And I just located one …close by". She turned the device towards the man and pointed at the blinking signal.

"General" Sullen said softly "What's your assessment? How would …um… adjust things?"

Grazot rubbed his chin and looked down at the amazing weapon in his possession. "Well Sir, under normal circumstances we'd never hold, but I think I agree with the Captain. These weapons are something that rivals the muscle of the great ape above. One is lethal enough, but eight… If we position ourselves correctly we could, not only hold, but possibly stop the assault. I'd even go so far to say that we might even repel it".

Sullen took note of the fact that Grazot rarely used the phrase _human_ when referring to March or Hayes. It wasn't that big of an issue but just a sign that convinced the Prefect it was time to return home. Humans were still a poison despite the fact that the pie had expanded. He pushed the thought away, turned to Ogden, and asked the same question.

"I'd have to agree" Ogden added. "One of these could hold back and entire garrison of apes."

That statement rang true. The M16 A1X was even more sophisticated than the sister model, discovered in old Buffalo. The Cobalt Disruptor had a wide beam feature. It could neutralize up to fifteen targets, depending on their size and disbursement. The weapon housed a small ITD unit (_*Infrared__Tactical__Display_). In essence, it was a personal radar station. According to the technical manual it was built with something called _whisper__technology_. The rifle hardly made a sound regardless of the type of round fired. It also contained two additional dial settings, _GP_ for Gas Pellet and _FE_ for Flame Extraction. The last unique feature was in the transponder. It could be shut off or completely removed. The weapon had been initially used by US, Israeli, and British covert assassination elements.

The discussion finally settled on 'what to do'. They gave their opinions, made their plans, and exited the bunker.

**The Flat Lands**

It took precise coordination, skill, and patience but the Coalition units, under the command of General St. James, managed to navigate though the obstacles. Engineers, infantry, mortar support units, medical detachments, and more were now within an arms reach of the ape capital. They'd crossed more than a hundred and fifty mile span, with over twelve hundred soldiers, in just three days. It had been a logistical nightmare to establish, but a moderate supply route was also in place. If Ceasera could be captured and held, no ape units would be able to reinforce any that were between it and old DC. Washington was the objective. It was everyone's objective. St James knew it and so did Philonus and that's why _Operation__Back-Stop_ had been planned.

Ceasera would be taken. The General had drilled that point into his subordinates since day one of the operation. It would be held too. The elements between it and old DC would be smashed and the ODN would insure the destruction of any ape force that made a push; the human General was counting on it. With Ceasera under human control, Washington would be unreachable.

Mitchell St James peered through his field goggles as his mind took in the terrain, visibility, and layout of the city. He lowered the binoculars and turned to his executive office. "What do you think Thad?"

Colonel Thaddeus Lynch who was still looking through his field glasses answered "It won't be a turkey shoot, Sir but we do have the element of surprise. The city isn't completely void of troops. It looks like they've had a recent fire too or some kind of mishap with their factory. They're expecting something though. Those troops look combat ready. Good news is that it's just a skeleton force"

"I agree. Pan a little to your right." St James said. "Look just beyond the burned out buildings. Notice anything interesting?"

Colonel Lynch picked up on the General's implication as soon as he became aware of it. It was partially obscured but visible enough for him to make an intelligent guess. "I see it, Sir. It looks like there's some activity going on too. Apes are going in and out." He lowered his goggles and said; "Guns, Mitch, they're hiding artillery guns; Using the buildings for cover and concealment. That's why the emplacements on the hills are so thin. They've moved the majority of their big guns inland. They're baiting us; providing a false breach in their defenses."

"Well done Thad. That's exactly what they're doing." St James replied. "That's why I came out here. They know that an attack has to come through the Flat Lands. It's too mountainous and hilly to try and attack from here, we'd get bogged down. And they control the area on the opposite side, so that's out too. But this is the perfect spot to recon from. We can see right into the center of their capital".

Lynch nodded and simply replied with "Uh-huh". He was listening but preoccupied as he attempted to mark the exact location on his map. For any raid to succeed, those guns had to be eliminated. If not, they'd all be slaughtered before they moved three steps.

"It's going to be tough, Mitch" Lynch said looking up from the map. "We only have light mortar support. They can fire up to almost six kilometers but we need precision. We're going to have to get in close to effectively take out those gun emplacements. If we can pull within range, they can drop their shells by lobbing them over the buildings. If we fire from the hills, those cannons will knock us back into last week."

"I think I know a way around this." St James replied "Separate one or two squads from their platoon. Have them set up on those hills there and dig in. We can use them as a distraction. They can fire one volley directly into the city; doesn't matter where, but keep it close to where the emplacements are. Immediately following that I want them to shift and fire smoke rounds into the valley below. The apes will think we're attacking from that direction; using the smoke for cover. Send a couple of snipers along as well. Order them to target any soldiers near the tent. It might just disorient the apes enough to shift their focus. Be sure to stress that they're to button up tight when the counter fire starts"

The two senior officers concluded the reconnaissance and worked their way back to the main body. Briefings began as the junior officers coordinated with the command staff on their individual missions, in support the overall operation. In the valley below action was already being taken. Human snipers inched their way across the dry grass crawling closer and closer to their predestinated positions. A soldier was cleaning blood off a knife as a second man to his left was trying to remove blood from his uniform. They pointed to the field beyond while making a gesture of cutting their throats. The men were signaling that the ape observation posts had been successfully neutralized. A captured ape officer was securely bound as a medic tended to his wounds. His knee was wrapped and the man was applying a field bandage to the shoulder. He seethed with hatred as his eye met the two human guards who were itching to finish him off. It seemed all thee shared similar affections. He'd been roughed up pretty bad from the recent interrogation and was doing his best to hide the fear. There was no Geneva Convention in this world.

"Alright" Lynch said as he concluded the briefing "The old man wants us on the move as soon as it's dusk. The advanced elements can move out immediately and being their preparations."

As the various men and women left the brief, he turned to a junior officer and said "Nice going, Rodgers. That captured ape gave us more Intel than three weeks worth of reconnaissance combined."

Inside the city Captain Sarref, an officer of the three-seventy-second, mounted his horse and continued making his rounds. Deep inside, he longed to be home in Tepoc City. His eldest son would soon be finishing his studies. Within the month he'd enlist. It was the obligation of all young males his age. Eventually he longed to become an officer like his father but that was a ways off. Sarref had convinced the pup that serving in the enlisted ranks would give him valuable and needed experience.

He slowed his mount as he reached his next stop. A corporal grabbed the reins of the horse and walked it in without being prompted to do so. The Captain dismounted and strode into the small building. The officer on duty stood as he entered the room. He did it out of courtesy. They carried the same rank but Sarref had been left in command.

"Captain" the ape said with a brisk nod. "Your timing is impeccable. Saves me the task of sending an ape to you directly."

"What is it Captain" Sarref stated, getting right to the point.

"I sent Privates Aluis and Powel, to the forward Ops, to relieve Dutont and Gera but they're almost thirty minutes overdue. Dutont is a good ape but he follows Gera around like a cub. And Gera can be a bit of rebel. It's probably nothing but I was about to check it out when you arrived" The ape explained.

"You stay" Sarref ordered "I'll look into it myself. I want to inspect the outposts anyway"

Moments later he arrived at the cities edge. The ape drew a weapon and worked his way forward on foot. The perfectionist in him inspected the route, the trees, the rocks, and anything else that caught his eye. Eventually the small station came into view. But something wasn't right. _Blood_, his brain registered, _that__'__s__blood_. His instincts told him not to go forward but his inexperience didn't listen. The ape was an efficient, meticulous officer but he'd spent his military career in Tepoc; a city well out of the arena of combat. Until recently even Ceasera had experienced that luxury. He'd spent a few tours in the field but had little familiarity with actual warfare. His closest encounter was a small uprising that had taken place when he was a Lieutenant. That had ended before it even took root.

He was now going to pay the price. He inched his way forward, slowly looking about. He swung the weapon left then right; up then down. Sarref had an eerie feeling of being watched. Closer … closer …closer. His heart raced and he finally found some comfort behind the protection of a small tree. Thoughts of doubt and feelings of insecurity began to surface. His, by the book, practices were no help to him out here. For the first time in his career he was uncertain and fearful.

He listened intently trying to pick up a sound. He looked at the foliage, the trees; wishing for anything that might give him a clue. His desire was granted in the change of atmospheric pressure causing the wind to shift. The cold breeze blew past the ape as his nostrils took in the smell. It reminded him of the animal cells where the prisoners were kept. It was confirmed; "Humans", he muttered softly.

The silent bullet wisped through the air and hit officer in the shoulder. It ripped through the ape's flesh and burrowed into the tree he was propped against. The force knocked him over and he instinctively cried out in pain. Sarref pulled his body up in an attempt to flee, but the next shot hit him squarely in the knee. Two human soldiers emerged from what seemed like nowhere. They looked like walking patches of grass and weeds. The men swiftly shoved the butts of their weapons into the ape's head. Sarref still managed to get out a low howl, after he'd been shot a second time, but the blow to his skull knocked him cold.

"Dress those wounds and let's get him shackled" One of the soldiers said to the other "We need to get him back to Command. They wanted a prisoner, well now they have one."

The primate woke in pain and was bound from head to toe. A human male who looked almost a big as a chimp balled up his fist and drove it into the wounded shoulder. Before Sarref could go under from the pain, smelling salts were shoved in his snout. The man struck the ape again, this time across the jaw. He laughed and struck him a third time.

"Ok, Captain here's how it works. I ask a question and you give an answer. You answer wrong and I get upset. When I get upset things break …like your jaw" The man finished the sentence by hitting the ape across the face on the opposite cheek. "I think you're seeing my point here. Now the General and his Exec will be back any time now, so why don't you and I get more acquainted?"

**Old Washington, DC**

"How many are there?" Sergeant Grogan asked the soldier.

"Not sure, Sarge" the young Corporal answered. "It looks like …a human female" he hesitated as he adjusted the goggles for a better look "uh, a human male and an orangutan. They're right on top of the objective. No one else seems to be around"

The ape paused again, lowered the glasses, and turned to Grogan; "An orangutan, Sarge? What would an ape be doing with a pack of humans?"

"How should I know? You can ask him after we kill him." Grogan replied in sarcasm. "Let me have the binoculars. Go back and find Captain Lucas. Ask him to stay put until we figure out what we're up against."

The ape removed the goggles from around his neck and handed them to Grogan. He navigated the rubble and obstacles, working his way back to the rear element. Out of nowhere he felt his body jerk. That was followed by a feeling of suffocation. When his senses finally registered what was happening he found himself looking at Ogden. Kutos held him securely in body lock and a firm choke hold. That wasn't the worse of his fears. It was the knife Ogden dangled in front of his face making him nervous. The knife was a distraction; an old trick used back home. Kutos twisted the apes head sharply, until his neck snapped.

"That was close." Kutos whispered.

"Yes, if he'd gotten through it would have certainly complicated things. Get his gear and weapons" Ogden replied.

Two Kilometers away, Berger, March, and Grazot worked their way towards the huddled soldiers.

"They've posted security" Berger stated. "It looks like there are eight, in groups of two, spread in a three-sixty degree circle. Ok General we decided to use the customary chain of command; so it's your call, Sir"

Grazot glanced down at the display on his rifle with an air of astonishment. Small dull red dots of light confirmed the position of every ape within a hundred meters. There were also three green specks identifying the transponders in each rifle. It was so easy, Grazot almost felt guilty. If he were home and relying on muskets, he'd have had to get in much closer, risking the chance of being compromised by their security. But fate seemed to be smiling and he was grinning back.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel, eh General?" March said, noting the expression on the ape's face.

"Yes, I suppose" He replied not quite understanding the analogy. "Alright, we'll advance from three angles. Lieutenant, you work your way around to those structures there. Major, you're to move to the right. I'm going to come in from the center. I think we can neutralize the entire section by using the disruptor on a wide range. Make a semi-circle and watch where you are. We don't want to take each other out in the process. Each of will hit the security positions first. We'll indicate success using the transponder signal. Switch it on and off once to indicate you've taken out the security elements and twice when you're in position and ready to move. I'll signal three times. When you see that, we all move in."

Each soldier headed out towards his primary objective. Grazot took out the two security obstacles with little to no effort. Minutes later he noted one green blink from Berger. A few moments after that, Berger signaled again with two flashes. Grazot waited. He waited still; nothing from March. He looked down at the display and noted the movement. It was like watching a cheap video game. _Something__must__be__wrong_, he concluded. Two red dots were converging on the transponder location. Gunshots followed by a massive ball of fire confirmed his suspicions that something had indeed gone wrong. The two red marks disappeared.

The General felt a curious urge to rush to March's position, but his military adeptness told him that if he didn't engage the ape unit immediately their advantage would be lost. He signaled three consecutive times, hoping that Berger got the message. Grazot adjusted the setting on his rifle and dated forward at incredible speed.

Because he was stronger and more agile than his human counterparts, the General arrived at the unit first. The tight nit element had already begun to spread out as a few of the soldiers were heading towards the blaze. A buzzing sound similar to those of a mosquito vibrated in his ears as the bullets wisped past his head. Grazot felt a slight sting in his upper body but he kept moving. He pulled the trigger and fanned the weapon. Apes fell to the ground and convulsed. A split second later an explosion sent the ape toppling backwards several paces. He landed flat on his back as his body reminded him he was not as youthful as he once was.

General Grazot rose and looked out at the smoldering bodies. It hadn't even been a contest. The small unit of apes died without ever knowing how it happened. Berger arrived with perfect timing and overwhelming firepower. The gorilla brushed dust and dirt off his already, dusty and dirty, uniform.

"You're bleeding General. You've been hit." Berger stated.

"We don't have time" Grazot replied. "We have to get back to the city. We've lost the element of surprise and the others are going to need our help"

"Where's the Major?" Berger asked.

Grazot shrugged and stated that the man was on his own. "We have to get back and we need to do it now. Their forward element knows something's wrong."

Tom March fell to the ground like a worn out rag doll. His knee throbbed in pain as it hit the tangled metal joist. The pistol on his side bounced out of its case and slid a few feet forward. The noise was loud enough to catch the attention of the apes conducting their security sweep.

The man quickly grabbed the sidearm and retrieved his rifle. He cursed himself for being so clumsy. _Off__all__the__times__to__trip__and__fall_, he thought. But he didn't have the luxury of licking his wounds. He noted the movement on the tactical display. They were almost on top of him. As quickly as his body would allow, he slid back against a large pile of debris and waited. When the first soldier came into view he unloaded the entire clip from the pistol into his body. But it wasn't enough and by now the second ape had appeared.

March squeezed the trigger of his rife and jerked in surprise. The fall had caused the weapon setting to rotate to _FE_. An immense flame shot out and engulfed the two simians, the surrounding structures …and more. A mushroom cloud of flame and smoke rose high into the air. March flung himself in reverse, and over the debris, as the flames back-blasted their way to where he'd been positioned.

He looked down at the display. "More are coming" he mumbled.

Moments later March heard an explosion. He silently thanked Grazot and Berger. All but a few of the red dots disappeared. He looked down and adjusted the rifles setting to _STD_. He then glanced at the Infrared Tactical Display and counted, "Ok, there are ….one, two, three, four, five. I need to target …" March didn't complete the sentence. The A1X's ITD flashed and the words, _**Auto**_ _**Target**____**now**__**Processing**_ appeared followed by, _**Objective**____**Confirmed.**_ Five rapid, but almost silent, _clicks_sounded off.___**Rounds**____**locked**___flickered next_._ A final message of, _**Ready**___exhibited itself on the bottom of the display.

"What the hell? …" March asked.

The standard rounds of the A1X were auto-targeting. Each housed a nano-processor that worked in conjunction with the ITD's internal smartware. The ballistics were voice activated and keyed in on a data-pulse that echoed directly from the A1X micro-mainframe.

March peered through the scope. The apes were in view but having trouble negotiating the blaze. _Wisp-wisp-wisp-wisp-wisp_ …The sound reminded March of the toy gun his father bought gave him when he was about twelve. A split second later all five red specks were gone.

"Mother of friggin Methuselah" the man stated doubting what had just happened. "They must have issued a mask, tights, and a cape when they handed these out."

Gunfire caught the man's attention. March holstered the pistol and headed back to the main element.


	35. Chapter 35: A Shift in Power

**Ceasera **

"Sniper …Get down", the Fire Direction officer shouted. He reached out and grabbed a slow moving gorilla. His attention was on the dead forward observer slumped over the rooftop of the adjacent building. "I said to get your butt down, Private." The gorilla awkwardly toppled to the dirt and smashed his face into ground. A few of the other soldiers snickered at the sight. The ape's pride was wounded but he felt grateful to be alive.

"Knock off the adolescent crap and get your heads on straight before I shoot you myself." The Gunnery Chief sternly promised. To make his point stick he slapped the two laughing apes on the back of their skulls.

"Private Caleb" the Gun Chief went on to say, "Work your way up that building. Get up on the roof and see what you can spot; muzzle flashes, movement, support elements, anything."

"We've got smoke" one of the soldiers shouted.

"They're making a push" the FDO concluded. "They're not stupid either. Nightfall's approaching and we'll be severely compromised without our observers. We need to shift guns four, five, and six. They're out of the shooter's line of site."

The Gunnery Sergeant nodded and crawled back to the gun line. He began issuing orders and providing direction. Minutes later the Private who'd scaled the building shouted. "They're up there alright and they're dug in tight. I can't see anything but smoke in the valley. I do see mortars elements about three klicks out though."

"Sergeant, target the valley and walk it up to the emplacements on the hills. Caleb," The FDO shouted towards the Private. "Once those rounds hit the hillside you call down the adjustments. You've just been promoted to forward observer."

Caleb didn't acknowledge the order. The ape never heard it. His movement had been picked up by one of the snipers and he was now lying in a pool of blood. The Lieutenant shouted again and again. In desperation, he climbed the structure himself. A round wisped past his head. He immediately went prostrate. The ape yelled down to the artillery line, ordering them to commence with the counter fire immediately.

Just then, several _pops_ sounded off, followed by an echo of loud _clanks_. All throughout the city smoke began to rise. It wasn't from fire or exploding rounds. It was an attempt to create even more confusion. And it succeeded. By the time the guns were turned, their visibility was nil. They fired but without any adjustments it was a futile effort, at best. The shells exploded in an empty valley void of troops. The ruse was working.

The lack of visibility was the least of their problems. Thirty seconds later mortar shells dropped in from every side. The FDO, Gunnery Chief, the gun line, and most of their equipment were saturated by the bombardment. The structure the Lieutenant and dead Private were on collapsed into a heap of dust and rubble. The few remaining infantry support elements fell into a rabble, in the absence of leadership. They turned from soldiers to a frightened mob. A few retreated and like fur covered lemmings the others quickly followed.

**000**

In the Flat Lands to the east a human male knelt on one knee. He supported the RPM (*_Rocket__propelled__Missile_) on his shoulder. With his opposite hand he pulled down the transparent visor and adjusted the optical tracking system. The digital display identified multiple targets within its range.

The soldier held one, of two, RPMs that the humans recently constructed from a relic discovered in the northern ruins. It was an experimental model and lacked some of the technical finesse of the original, but it was still proficient enough for the simple mission before it.

"Make it count, Jack" the officer next him said. "We don't have a second chance. And I personally vouched for you to the old-man"

Seconds later mortar fire popped off, followed by a rapid series of wails and explosions. It continued for several minutes and then abruptly stopped.

"Ok Jack, you're on". The officer stated with a brisk slap on his exposed shoulder.

Staff Sergeant James Jackson eyes locked onto the huge iron gateway, attached to the thick cement wall. He blinked once and his heads-up display went bright green. "I have a lock." He said firmly. He instinctively held his breath and gently squeezed the trigger. The projectile burst from the rectangular tube and in the blink of an eye slammed into the steel gate. It and several meters of surrounding stone shattered into pieces. The order to advance was sounded and every available infantry soldier rushed the ape capital.

The advancing human horde covered a quarter of the city in less than four minutes. Anything that moved was immediately engaged. St James had stated quite plainly that if the city had to be flattened first, so be it. _Buildings__can__be__rebuilt,__people__can__'__t_, he'd declared. His soldiers were taking that literally. A senior NCO had noticed one of the artillery pieces was still in tact. He and his crew were loading any available ordinance and firing rounds into the far side of the city. An ape on horseback made a brave dash through the Flat Lands and towards Washington. He was cut to shreds by rounds coming from just about every direction. Small bands of resisters occupied building and houses but rather than fight it out St James ordered the combat support elements to rain mortars down and flatten the area.

The battle only lasted two hours. There weren't enough simian boots on the ground for the apes to hold, let alone push the humans back. Their senior leadership was on the move elsewhere. The one soldier who'd been left in charge was captured long before the battle ever started. In fact, his Intel had been invaluable. Sarref coughed up every detail of the cities fortifications, key troop emplacements, and their over all defensive plan.

Practically every uniformed ape combatant was now dead or severely wounded. Two gorillas and a chimp approached with a flag of truce. They were all civilian. Four human soldiers surrounded the group and were prodding them forward.

"Sir," the human Major said as he swung up a quick salute. "These monkeys want a word. They claim to represent and speak for what's left of the cities populace."

"Muh – Uhh …My name is, um, Petrus," the gorilla holding the flag nervously stated. The shop keeper was terrified and it was obvious to everyone around. He'd never seen the human animal and was now looking at a flock of them. "I'm not sure how this works but we've come to sue for peace."

St James held back his contempt. Instead he shook his head and used the opportunity to press his heels deeper onto the cities throat. He intentionally ignored the ape and turned to a group of men piling dead apes against a wall. "Leave them and set up security. We might have a few zealots out there and I want to be ready for them." He turned to his exec and added "we need to be ready for any couriers returning from the old capital. Get some men on their OPs."

He paused and glared at the gorilla. "Here's how it works, son. You don't _sue__for__peace_. It's called unconditional surrender. Emphasis on _unconditional_. Do you get my point, boy? You bastards are to surrender all firearms, release all human captives, and rally in the town's center. You have fifteen minutes to comply or I'll assume you don't accept these terms. If that's the case, I'll level this city and kill every last ape in it; starting with you. Are we clear?"

The ape shook his head sheepishly. St James looked at the Major and said "Take him back and bring a Company of infantry men with you. Make sure they submit and understand our position. Kill anyone who resists" The soldier nodded and went on his way.

"This is history, Mitch." Lynch stated "No human has occupied an ape village in over two centuries."

"It isn't over Thad. It's all up to Neal and his team now." St James replied. "The ODN… We've got to have it up and ready or we'll never hold off a counter attack"

The terms were set and accepted. Business within the capital could resume. Construction would also carry on, but with human direction. The city, however, was now under martial law and a strict curfew was in place. If any ape, so much as, blinked at a human they would be shout without trial or exception. The only explanation St James offered was; "We're not here as liberators, we're here as conquerors."

**Old Washington**

General Grazot tossed the last dead ape into the hole with the others. His dreams of possessing human magic had come true. He'd just overwhelmed, not one, but two superior elements and he'd done it with ease. "Like shooting fish in a barrel", he mumbled, finally understanding what March meant. He looked at the miraculous weapon and snorted in mild disgust.

"You know General" March said "There's another saying where I come from that goes like this; _be__careful__what__you__wish__for__because__you__might__just__get__it_."

Grazot jumped in surprise and spun around. "Where in blazes did you come from? I almost shot you!"

March explained what happened back at the previous ambush spot. He didn't want to get caught up in the crossfire, so he'd laid low until it was over.

Grazot nodded and went on to clarify his thoughts. "It isn't the killing and it isn't the weapons. I've been a combatant most of my life. Killing is part of the job. It's the …redundancy. This Polk and his ilk are a threat but …"

The General paused naturally and March spoke up; "But this isn't really your fight. This isn't your country. I can relate to that as well. You know General, I'm weary of this too, but it's fourth and ten and there's no more time on the clock …"

Grazot shot the man a look just as he'd done several times in the past. "Ok, I know, speak English" March replied. "We call it battle fatigue where I come from. In my country, we stayed in the fight until it was won, but within the ranks we'd rotate units to the rear regularly. Everyone needs a rest from the stress and horrors of warfare. I think we've all reached that point, but this coming to a head. If Jonny and Karen can activate that drone we'll be able to put a big hurt on the far element. If we do this right and can hold long enough for human reinforcements, we'll be able to put this behind us."

Grazot expressed his thoughts on the subject and concluded by turning his attention back to their current situation. "That was the last one. What do we do with all this equipment?"

"We need to burn the bodies or this place will soon be riddled with disease." March replied. "As for the equipment, take what you want and we'll stack the rest in the bunker. But that can wait. Come on; let's get back to the others."

March pointed the A1X at the bodies strewn throughout the pit. The sight reminded him a prison camp the Soviets had established in Moscow. They'd slaughtered hundreds of American, British, and Chinese POWs when it was obvious they were going to lose the war. He'd only seen pictures but the twisted bloody bodies looked all too familiar. He squeezed the trigger and incinerated the remains.

Captain White Rose to her feet as she noticed March and Grazot approach. From the expression on her face March noted that she had some positive news. She confirmed his theory seconds later. "We've got it Tom," she said. "It took some digging but we uncovered it." She sighed and sucked in some fresh air. "It took a lot of work but we now have three operational drones."

March grinned and was about to respond but the woman went on before he spoke. "There's more. We have a lock on the transponder; it's forty four kilometers northwest of here."

"Ok, um Jonny …" March began to ask.

As if he could read the man's mind Hayes replied with "Just over twenty seven miles, Sir".

"Thanks" March said, looking back at White. "It gives me perspective." He explained. "I was never any good with numbers and I never understood why the rest of the world was on the metric system, while we … you know what? Never mind. Where are the others?"

The last update White gave was regarding Sullen's device. It had picked up a second transponder to the northeast. When Berger plotted the coordinates he was convinced it was coming from the human territory. It too was on the move. The Prefect, Ogden, and the Lieutenant were moving east to investigate.

**The Ape Command Tent**

"Sir!" the ape watching the radar shouted. "We have movement."

"Already?" Ulysses questioned as he spun around and shot an inquisitive look at the display. He gazed at it for a second and scratched at his neck. The image was odd. The blips were green with a series of numbers under each of them, "Hmm, there's only three."

Unknown to Ulysses, the radar unit was identifying three friendly transponder indicators. Well, friendly, according to its programming anyway. In reality, they belonged to Ogden, Sullen, and Berger. Of course the color meant nothing to the Major. All he knew was that activity had begun in the east.

"Sergeant" The ape said "Relay the map coordinates to the gun line. Have them adjust off the closest, preset, target. I want them to prep, but not to fire." He turned to a second soldier and added. "Get me Polk". The second ape flipped a few switches on the wired communication device. A dull green-grey image of Polk appeared on the monitor.

"What can I do for you, Major?" the voice asked. It was recognizable but scratchy.

"Did you order any of the salvage units east, by chance? I've picked up movement but it's only a few; three to be exact" Ulysses stated.

"No, but they're ordered to salvage and move to the next point. Maybe Lucas uncovered something and is scouting it. It could be a human scouting unit." Polk replied.

They talked for a few minutes and longer until Polk made a comment about conserving power.

"Ok" Ulysses said. "I'll monitor them for now"

**000 **

Master Sergeant Strickland's heart was racing as sat crouched behind the cold rock. He didn't particularly care to be this close to the enemy, but the old man wanted answers. And he had a hell of a way of getting them too, Strickland thought.

The NCO was so close to Ulysses' position, he felt as if he could reach out and touch the ape. He squirmed inside as he took note of size of the gorilla just paces away. If he was spotted he'd most likely be dead. But luckily his mission was over. He wasn't going to hang around one second longer than necessary. Strickland lowered the cone shaped listening device and switched the recorder off. With great care, he shimmied off into the darkness and made his way back to the small recon unit a klick away.

He exchanged the challenge and reply with the security element. Once he was cleared, the man reported his finding to the officer in charge. "I got it Captain," He stated in a somewhat irritated tone.

"Good work, Strickland. I know you put your neck on the line" the officer said. "Let's get back to the rendezvous point. Colonel Neal and the main body should be there shortly." And with that, they moved out.

Shortly after, the small unit rejoined the main body. They reported the information to Colonel Neal and went back to their regular assignments. Neal sat with his staff officers as they listened to the recording.

"Opinions?" Neal asked.

"We could take out the two command posts" Major Childs suggested.

"No Nate" Neal replied "We have to keep tracking that force that hit our recon element. They're on some kind of time line. Otherwise they would have never left their wounded behind. Besides, Washington is too important. We going to bypass the two command elements"

"Yeah," Captain Yuden added "It's too bad we couldn't get prisoners either." The wounded ape soldiers had all been given poison, in case of capture. They'd used it too.

Captain Kelly Hass, the only female on staff, spoke up. She hated the apes and had lost an arm in days long past. Her loathing for the species drove passion as a soldier. "They're only hours ahead of us, Sir" she stated. "But given what's on that recording; I think we can use their own tactics against them."

"Ok, Kel, let's hear it." Neal said.

She leaned over, pointed at a spot on the map, and began to explain her plan.

**Somewhere in old West Virginia**

Philonus wrapped a blanket around himself as he tried to shake off the cold. Night had fallen and the sky was gray and cloudy. In the last hour or so the temperature dropped about ten degrees. The ape sipped on the hot coffee and chewed the warm bread he'd just received from the mess section. He was enjoying some peace and quiet. They'd stopped to water the horses and eat. It all had to be done in forty five minutes if they were to stay on schedule.

The Colonel watched the fog on his breath as he exhaled. "I hate the cold" he mumbled. His attention shifted to a small bright object that appeared in the sky. A falling star registered in his head but it didn't seem to fade and besides, it was cloudy. Others were now taking note and pointing.

Philonus grabbed the relic he'd taken from Polk. Possessing it gave him a sense of confidence and security. Unknown to him, it was also giving the drones a signal to hone in on.

The sort range weapons calculated their trajectory and processed the information coming from Norman, via Captain White. They pinged the transponder and processed more of the Intel. The fanned out as each one took position.

The ape Colonel shoved the butt of his weapon into his shoulder and gazed through the high-powered scope. His brain immediately processed trouble. The single light was now three. No sooner did he lower the weapon when Major Sidon appeared. He sounded a loud horn signaling for the apes to find cover. Sidon didn't explain himself. Instead he grabbed the Colonel and said "We have to get you to safety". The ape army scurried for any type of cover or concealment but it was dark and too late. The drones were traveling too fast and overtook the area in milliseconds.

The projectiles exploded but the blast, pulsed an energy wave, instead of traditional ballistics. Philonus, Sidon, and everything in the surrounding area was instantly vaporized. The grass, trees, and neighboring vegetation were scorched beyond recognition. The area flashed with light and seconds later was still and quiet. The temperature that had been dropping immediately shot up over three hundred degrees. Nothing was left of the fifteen hundred simians, their horses, or their supplied.


	36. Chapter 36: Separate Ways

**Ceasera – Human occupation day 12**

The ape military presence was almost nonexistent and the newly installed martial law hadn't affected things all that significantly. Their former ape taskmasters were just as demanding as their current human counterparts. But the human occupation was not without problems. The real dilemma evolved around the subjects of food, shelter, and mutual cooperation. More than forty percent of Ceasera was in ruin. Water was scarce, as was food. And the dead, who were everywhere, were still being buried or burned. Supplies were coming in but St. James could see that they were robbing Peter to pay Paul. He was a combatant. Occupation was a totally new experience, to not only him, but also to his subordinates.

Human engineers were working with ape civilians rebuilding the city, but that too sprouted the seeds of contempt. The two species loathed each other. A smart-mouthed young enlisted man provoked an ape construction worker; refereeing to his _latrine-like_aroma. A brawl started and almost ended in a city-wide riot. The man was currently in a medical tent paying for the mistake. Soldier or not, the apes were vastly superior in all physical aspects. Human firepower and military proficiency were the only factors that squelched it before things spun out of control. Two apes were killed and six were wounded. One human soldier died and two were severely wounded. That only added to the already existing hatred. St James didn't give a rip about the ape body count, but stability was on his high agenda. He'd severely disciplined the men in public. It helped, but only marginally.

In a similar situation, an ape shopkeeper refused to barter over supplies. As he was confronted, he shot the human officer in the stomach. The Chimp possessed a pistol he hadn't turned over. Normally the simian would have been hung but he was very old and St James was afraid of the message it would send. So instead, the merchant was taken to detention cell and put to death quietly. His food was poisoned. Later that night he was dumped in the pit and burned.

There were other problems, issues, and anxieties. They seemed to grow like a hydra. You'd chop the head off of one and two more would appear in its place. Black-market opportunists had risen, suspected ape collaborators unexpectedly died, and some of the human soldiers were caught taking bribes. There were even reports of apes killing their own over blame for the occupation. It was a sorted mess but one thing was certain; the men were there to stay. The city was too strategically vital.

**000**

General St James and his staff sat around the large table as each officer gave their daily briefings. It was usually a boring routine they all put up with, but earlier this morning the diplomatic detachment had returned from Devoir. The meeting was moved up two and half hours and apprehensions were running high.

"From what we've gathered, they're in a bit of a rabble." Lynch said. "Seems to be a vacuum in the leadership department and a few opportunistic apes are trying to fill it. A small number are crying for war, but most are in a state of confusion or simply in disagreement on how to proceed. Their military is stretched, but their numbers still exceed ours. Our scouts report no troop movement or massing of elements. Thing is, Sir, they're spread thin, just like we are and without their military leadership, they lack direction and organization."

"And what about ODN story we agreed on? How was that taken?" St James asked.

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Lynch answered. "Our envoy was received but the deployment of the second RPM seems to have them fooled for the moment. Looks like your plan bought us some time, Sir" He paused and turned to the officer who'd led the diplomatic mission to the neighboring ape city. "Major Webb, can you please fill us in on the specifics?"

"Of course Colonel" The man said with a slight tilt of the head. "As instructed, we met with the apes in Devoir. And as you claimed they were skeptical. But we did have the ape allies with us, for show. They confirmed the occupation. The monkeys in Devoir didn't know the gorillas from Adam and they couldn't exactly deny we were there either. Anyway, the display we put on clinched it. Sergeant Walsh hid himself about five or six klicks back. We told them Washington was now under human control and the ODN was on line and fully at our disposal. They scoffed … again as you predicted … and I used the mock hand-held mechanical device to act as if I was accessing the Net. Once Walsh got the signal he fired the missile into a food silo. That definitely grabbed their attention …For all they knew, it was the ODN. I made it clear that the next demonstration would be in the center of their town and with ten missiles."

"Good and what of our terms?" St James asked.

"They've agreed to honor our newly established borders and the demilitarized buffer zone. We didn't really leave them with a choice. The cities meager military leadership is asking that we release any of the surviving senior staff …as an act of good faith. But they're just scared and unsure how to take all of this." Webb answered.

The General took a swig of hot coffee and shook his head, "…Act of faith, bah. Those pricks have been slaughtering us for years. It's a miracle any of us are still alive. I have all of their top brass sitting in detention cells. For now, that's where they'll sit. We're staying under martial law until this blasted capital is secure. … Captain White, what's the progress on the ODN?"

"We've powered the computers in the command bunker. They're running but they're off the network. The cells we were provided helped us take a few shortcuts, so we're ahead there. Two satellite sensors are repaired but the remaining two are uncertain." She answered.

"Give me specifics, Karen; how long?" The man asked bluntly.

"Two weeks, maybe as much as four" She answered plainly.

"Four weeks? We'll be lucky if we can keep them fooled for one. What about that eccentric crack-pot of a Captain. The one who thinks he's from the future or something? He may be nuts but he seems to know his way around these ancient machines" St James asked, "Get him on it."

"He claims to be from the past, Sir, but it isn't important." She replied correcting the man. "And he is on it. We all are. Besides, it isn't a matter of throwing bodies at the problem. We can't get nine women together and make a baby in one month. The lines need to be run, power needs to be established and moderated and the Mainframe is in the last stages of the controlled reboot. _Norman_ has to hack the security authentication. It's in progress but it's a tough nut to crack. He's been working on it for two weeks and only has thirty-eight percent of the protocols in a ready state. One he gets to fifty-five or sixty, I'll ping the satellite sensor relays and try to access some of the interfaces. "

"Thad" St James said to Lynch. It was as if he hadn't listened to a word she'd spoken. "I want every available man we can spare down there. We've sitting here with a pair of twos and bluffing like we have a royal flush. If they call our hand, we'll be hanging out there with our butts in the wind."

The General finished his coffee and dismissed the soldiers. He held Lynch back and once the room was empty he said "You're going back with Karen, Thad. That city is too darn important and we're up against a wall. Form a team of the best we've got and issue as many of those ancient rifles as we have. We're going to end this."

**Old Washington **

Ten days earlier, Captain Kelly Hass presented her idea. Given the intelligence from the recording they'd taken, the plan had been accepted. Colonel Neal and his element would sweep wide in an attempt to hit the apes on their western flank. They'd strike hard and hit in full force. The mission was to route the simian army east. Once there, they'd fall prey to friendly fire from their own artillery support.

But there had been one catch. Ulysses' radar picked up remnants of the human movement a half hour after their initial push. He'd even sent a scout to confirm it. The ape officer then readjusted the radar settings. Once the humans reached the far tip of DC, he'd brought down a rainstorm of steel and wiped out most of the hostile human forces. Inevitably, Neal had fallen victim to the same fate Philonus had. The human Colonel was carrying the M-16 they'd taken from Hayes. Its transponder sent a signal to Ulysses once it was in range. Ironically, the process was designed to eliminate friendly fire accidents. In this case it merely sealed the man's fate.

Polk and the rest of the ape soldiers were later captured but Ulysses had managed to escape. Besides, the damage was done. A massive ape force was now in Washington. The apes were fanning out wide and digging in tight.

**000**

Jonathan Hayes controlled his breathing and adjusted his sight. He peered through the rifle scope for a better look at his prey. He counted the figures on the digital display and turned to March. He held up two fingers and pointed in the opposite direction. March nodded and held up three, pointing out towards the apes he'd spotted.

"This is insane" Hayes muttered under his breath.

Random ape patrols were becoming all too regular. The simians covered about one third of the southern portion of DC. The only advantage the humans had were the A1X rifles. They carried enough firepower to give the impression that a significant number of men occupied the north.

St James was supposed to send reinforcements but his main concern was getting the ODN operational. Power cells from Ceasera were taken, necessary supplies arrived, and key technicians were working with White. It was suicide as far as Hayes was concerned. Several of the techs and their infantry support had already been killed or wounded. His mission was to clear the area so they could run the power conduits and access the ODN Mainframe. They'd already covered several miles and still had quite a few to go. There was also key equipment that required fixing, powering, or both.

Out of habit Hayes held his breath and pulled the trigger naturally. He'd learned it in basic training and it was now second nature. The standard round wisped from the barrel and took out the first soldier. Before the second one could react he dropped dead next to his peer. The man crawled over to where March was and took a position next to him. The two men repeated the process, taking out the other three apes.

The method was grueling, idiotic, and cumbersome, they both concluded. The men felt like death was just waiting for the chance to jump out and pounce. They'd managed to stay a step ahead of the apes but that was because they were too busy fortifying their positions. Once the monkeys felt secure, they'd become more bold. What was even worse was the thought of them stumbling across some kind of ancient technology.

The next morning, Captain White returned from the briefing with about fifty soldiers. Colonel Lynch was in full combat gear and several of the men were carrying the new M-16s. A Lieutenant was briefing a few soldiers as they huddled around a display he'd made in the dirt.

"What's all this?" March said as he leaned over to Hayes.

"Don't you recognize him Tom? He's the Colonel I locked horns with back at that human settlement. And it's obvious what he's doing. He's going to after the apes." Hayes replied.

Their second meeting was a little better than the first. The contention started when Lynch ordered Hayes to surrender his firearm. The Colonel's mission was a classic, search and destroy. But it was also designed for two other purposes; the first was to put a buffer between the apes and ODN Engineers. The second was designed to extinguish the ape's munitions. They were stuck with no way to resupply.

Lynch wanted Jonny's weapon because the man was to stay behind and work with White on the uplink. Hayes argued that any idiot could run wire but eventually gave in. Both he and March had stashed a couple A1X rifles in the bunker. "Ok then, take it" he finally agreed.

Even March expressed his concerns with the Colonel's logic. The humans had roughly ten to twelve weapons but the ape numbers were in the thousands. If the men were captured and if their equipment was taken, it could tip the balance of power significantly. March also expressed his concerns regarding the idea of expending their ammunition. From where he stood, the only option he saw was to become a target. And that wasn't an endearing thought.

"We have enough gadgets on these rifles to keep them guessing." Lynch stated. He also ordered March to command a detachment of soldiers.

"I need every available body, Major. You've had experience with the weapon, you have combat familiarity and from what you've briefed, you have a solid grasp of tactics …Might just save the lives of one these boys." Lynch stated. "You have no idea how important the ODN is to our survival."

March couldn't arguer with that. Peace through strength had been woven into his thinking since he was boy. Put a knife to their throats and they'll be much more receptive to your terms. It had always been the American way.

The Colonel briefed the personnel of the mission he'd devised. They inspected their gear, broke up into small units and went on their way. The soldiers were divided into five squads of ten men. Two of the ten carried the special weapons. The others carried the standard repeating rifles.

**Ceasera **

Sullen, Ogden, Kutos, and Grazot walked into the newly established command post. They were escorted by armed guard. It gave the impression they were nobody special. For both of their interests they were being kept at arms length.

"Come in gentlemen. Please have a seat." St James said without even realizing the word he'd chosen. "I want to thank you for accompanying our delegation to Devoir. Your presence gave our story a lot of needed credibility."

Sullen's view of humans had evolved slightly, but old impressions were hard to wash away. His reply was not what St James was expecting. The ape's distrust and perceptions began to surface. "Were those my rifles you sent off with your soldiers, General? We gallivant off to who knows where, we sit in these cantinas and gather intelligence for you and you thank us by stealing our supplies? You speak of an armistice but then slap us in the face."

"I can understand your concern, Prefect." St James replied. "Yes, those were your relics, but no, we did not steal them." The man paused as he sought the right words. "You have to understand how important the network is. Without it we'll be at war until there are no apes or men left on this planet."

"And how _understanding_ would you be if I had control of this Net and confiscated your prize armaments?" Sullen said sticking to his guns. "I've provided intelligence about their capital and military leadership. I've allowed your scientists access to my _relics_, as you refer to them… I see a lot of give and a lot of take. I'm giving and what I don't, you simply take."

"Fair enough, Sir" The man replied. He excused himself, called for a guard, and whispered instructions into the man's ear. The soldier gave nod and quickly went off to do the officer's bidding. He returned with several soldiers who were dragging a rucksack. They heaved and huffed until it was finally at Sullen's feet.

"This belongs to your people." The General said. "Let me return it as sign of good faith. It's also a good lead into something that's been on my mind."

Sullen opened the sack of gold and silver that Ogden had been carrying. He inquisitively glanced at Grazot and made a comment about being bribed with his own gold. Troop Sergeant Ogden gave a quick explanation. But before the subject got side tracked St James went on.

"Prefect," the man said as respectfully as he could, "our necks are just shy of the noose. Voss is dead. His leadership is dead. Anyone who could salvage their situation is also dead or in prison. With one exception; the troops occupying south Washington."

He paused and pulled down a map. With a long stick he pointed at Devoir, Tepoc, Makowen, and the remaining ape cities. "Washington is being dealt with but the disarray in the remaining Territorial provinces gives us …and yes I mean _us_… a tactical advantage. But the window is closing. Sooner or later a leader will poke his head up… sooner or later they'll discover that the ODN is not operational… and the wound of occupation will callus over. When that happens it will be business as usual. We've been at war for centuries. If things don't change this will be a lifeless planet in a generation or two. Centuries ago, north of here, that very thing almost happened. A bomb of massive proportions went off and vaporized a large area."

Sullen knew that story all too well. Ironically he wouldn't be sitting where he was if that bomb had not exploded.

"And what's your solution?" Grazot asked. "A world where humans control this defensive network; a world where apes obey or suffer extinction?"

St James kept a cool head. He had no plans of stabbing his new allies in the back but from where he was sitting, he'd earned the right to be particular. Human blood was cleansing Washington, not theirs. His people had died, over the years, gathering equipment that would make his nation safe.

He quickly gained his composure and began again by using Sullen's full title. It offered both respect and gave his statement that needed thrust "Lord Prefect, you came to us asking for an alliance. An alliance that would benefit you militarily but would offer us food and resources we severely lack. So what I suggest is this. We first secure Washington. Even with ODN down, there are enough salvageable relics there to strengthen our foothold. …and again, I mean _our__foothold_. To make that point stick, I'd like to commission General Grazot as the new senior officer of the Territorial Ape Union. He'd..."

"The new what?" Grazot spoke up. The ape laughed and added, "I wouldn't last the night. They hate us here. I've been called everything from human lover to traitor of my species."

"If we lighten their yoke; improve their quality of life; provide basic necessities like food and water…and a lasting peace, you'd be surprised how much a person …or ape… will change." St James suggested.

Grazot grunted and cynically stated; "This sounds very familiar to a conversation I had with our late Magistrate back in Arum."

St James laid the pointer down on the large oak desk. He walked around and sat on the opposite edge. He then took in some air through his nostrils and exhaled with a long sigh. He pulled out a cigar, lit it, and continued, "You're a military man, General Grazot …"

"A military _ape_, General" Grazot corrected.

St James offered a quick apologized and went right back to his argument. "Listen, when you commission a junior soldier. One who's been in the unit for a long period of time; what do you do with him?"

"Once a Footape or a Conscript is given a commission or significant promotion, he's transferred to a sister section, within his Contingent; somewhere where they're not known. It's perception. The new soldiers see a Lieutenant, not a Lieutenant who was once their companion and peer. They don't have a history with the ape, so he's in a different light. It strengthens the chain of command" Grazot explained.

"Exactly" The human General stated with a grin. "We do that too and that's what we'll do with you. Since Ceasera in ruin, I have the perfect cover story. It will play in nicely. We'll move all Territorial military operations from here to Devoir. In essence, you'll be their Prefect, so to speak. You'll be seen as a savior. I'll ensure that food and supplies get to that city, ASAP"

"A savior, huh. More like a bloody collaborator." He whispered to Ogden.

"What do you think?" St James asked.

**Old Washington**

The flying debris cut through the wobbly stone just above their heads. The NCO leading the squad didn't wait for the men below it to react. He simply bulldozed the three until they were clear of the falling rumble. Dust sprayed upward as the weathered concrete shattered into tiny pieces. One of the young men coughed out the grim he'd inhaled during the fall.

"Get on your feet." The Sergeant barked.

"That wasn't rifle fire or munitions, Sarge. What was it?" A young Private asked.

"Maybe it was fairy dust. Shut up and lay down some suppression fire. I've already lost two ..." It was the last thing he shouted. The Sergeant's death didn't come at the hand of a bullet, the concussion of a grenade, or even fairy dust. He'd been crushed by a steel girder tossed the enemy.

The seasoned ape veterans were advancing. They'd spotted the human detachment coming their way long before the men arrived. They'd waited until the enemy was in the right spot and reached out wide, like an octopus. The officer leading the assault was directing the apes with meticulousness accuracy. He'd identified the human leadership and eliminated it first. Rather than waste their ammo, the apes were using the rubble and their incredible physical power to their benefit. Most of the human assault force was already dead and the remaining soldiers were losing their morale.

Like a pack of trained wolves, the apes crouched low and sprung forward with all of their animalistic elegance. The beasts used every bit of the wreckage to their advantage. Bounding from rock, to mound, getting closer by the second. The simians knew the men were taught to take out a knee. But it was much more difficult to hit a target who was low to the ground.

"Cripes almighty" The Private cried out. "They cut the Serge in two."

He raised his weapon and fired indiscriminately. A few of the stray rounds hit their target but the ape numbers were too high. The other soldiers were looking to a Corporal, whose ankle was broken, for guidance. "Shoot the bastards" was the only advice he was giving.

Two full platoons of apes swarmed the area. They overwhelmed and brutally killed every man in sight. Fortunately for Private Lester Cobb, he was not in sight. The man pulled his skinny frame along the ground and under the stone slab. He was eyeing the old metallic husk of what had once been an armored personnel carrier. If he could reach it he'd be obstructed from their view. If he was patient he'd make it. Unfortunately, the man was not. In an effort to increase his pace Cobb's boot crunched at the ground. An orangutan caught a glimpse and darted towards the man.

Cobb rose to his feet and sprinted forward as rapidly as possible. A few rounds glanced off the steel framework. He felt a sting in his shoulder and noted the blood. He pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it behind him without looking back. He hurtled the side of old vehicle and made his way towards a half standing building.

Boom – the grenade went off, but there was no wailing that followed. He cussed under his breath.

The man dashed inside. He huffed trying to rejuvenate his aching body. "Come on Cobb, think" he wheezed and simultaneously looked around. The stairwell was blocked but there was a door on the far side of the room. He concluded that speed was of the essence. His pursuer was gaining. The man crossed through the door with little time to spare.

The orangutan sprayed the interior with half a clip of bullets. He poked his head inside and spotted the open door …or what was left of it. He also noticed the blood. "I hit the little whelp" He chuckled.

The ape covered the room in one bound. Automatic weapon fire peppered the door, shattering what was left of it.

_Click-clack_ – Cobb cussed. He was out of ammunition. He slapped at this chest and side searching for a second clip. …Nothing. In desperation he pulled the bayonet from its sheath. The scared soldier crawled towards a pile of debris and crouched low, for cover. The ape finally caught up with him and was laughing.

"You're out of bullets, boy" he taunted "You think that little dagger's gonna stop me? You can't hide, I can see your shadow. It's just you and me now." He added, pulling out a knife of his own. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Six more weeks of winter?" March sarcastically answered as he fired the disruptor at the simian. The man was a ways off but still within range of his target.

The beam reached out in a spit second. The signals to the orangutan's brain went haywire. His body shuddered and his legs went limp. The ape involuntarily pulled the trigger of his weapon, as his shoulder, arm, and paw went into a violent muscle spasm. A barrage of hot slugs punched into the dirt and gravel. Shortly after, the ape, hit the deck just as hard.

Several feet away the ape officer pulled the trigger of his newly acquired A1X. The HE round struck the old building Cobb had just vacated. What was left of the aged structure blew apart in an enormous inferno. Lester Cobb and the orangutan were swallowed by the outburst. March was thrown several feet backwards by the shockwave. He landed awkwardly and with a firm thud.

"Tom!" Hayes cried out as he reached down and helped his friend up.

The dazed Air Force Major rubbed his fingers through his hair, shaking out the dust. "Jon?" he coughed out. "Where did you come from?"

Hayes quickly explained that he'd retrieved the second rifle from the bunker. It was a bit of an understatement. The man had one in hand and another slung over his shoulder. He also had a pistol and about five grenades strapped to his web-gear. He looked like Rambo. He'd synced the transponder code and tracked March as soon as he'd left. "I'm not staying back while you take on a superior force, Sir. That Colonel can kiss my…"

Hayes never finished adding the colorful metaphor to the end of his comment. A thunderous trumpet blew followed by a loud cry of; "Fallback, we're being overrun." Several other HE rounds exploded throwing human bodies everywhere. Machineguns rattled, spewing their scorching ordinance in every direction. Only a handful of the men were left.

Hayes looked down at the display. The small red dots were growing in number. He mildly tackled March as shots bounced off the concrete. They were too exposed. The men were prostrate on the ground but two rounds managed to hit their target. One of the slugs ripped through the Major's thigh while a second grazed his forearm.

Hayes mentality summed up the situation. "We're not going to make it, Tom." He concluded. "There are too many. They baited us, pulled us in and now they're flanking on both sides and choking us off. They'll be on top of us any second."

March didn't have time to explain. He fought the stabbing pain in his leg and motioned for a rifle. "Don't talk Jon, just listen. And pray that it works." The man leaned towards the rifle and said, "Multiple targets identified". The A1X's ITD flashed and the words; _**Auto**___ _**Targeting**____**now**__**Processing**_ appeared followed by _**Objective**____**Confirmed.**_ The weapon hummed softly and_**Rounds**____**locked**___flickered in dull green. A final message of, _**Ready**___exhibited itself on the bottom of the display, just as it had the last time.

March began to pull the trigger and abruptly stopped. What he hadn't realized, until now, was that he'd also targeted some the remaining human soldiers. The tactical display only identified recognizable transponder codes as friendly.

"What's going on?" Hayes asked in truly nervous voice.

March didn't answer directly, he simply said. "Don't fire until I give the order."

Rounds were still coming in but now he could see the ape horde with his eyes. The man waited as long as he could. The apes were advancing and the surviving men were retreating. He waited more; And a little more. Another round hit the dirt and whizzed past his head. His canteen saved his life, as it diverted a second round heading towards his hip.

He silently asked God to forgive him and pulled the trigger. It sounded like the soft roar of a mountain lion. The rounds _wisped_ out the rifle in rapid succession. They took to the air and annihilated every target in a three hundred and sixty degree radius.

"Go Jonny, leave me here." He ordered. "You have a small window and I can't walk, let alone run. …go, that's an order."

Hayes wouldn't have obeyed even if he'd been given a chance to respond. A second thing March failed to realize was the ape officer in possession of the A1X. According to the transponder signal he was considered, _friendly_. He'd survived the auto-targeting.

Hayes raised his rifle and hit the charging ape, center mass, with the disrupter. Ulysses dropped in his tracks. The astronaut popped the last smoke canister he had. He picked up his wounded comrade, flung him over his shoulder and darted through the hole, March's barrage had created.

His mind went through a list of choices. Going back to where Karen White and the others were was not an option. From the looks of things, they were probably going to be overtaken. The apes were pressing in that direction and it was only a matter of time. No, he had another plan in mind.

It took Ulysses close to five minutes before his senses fully returned. The combination of the disruptor and the smoke had him coughing and rubbing the nonstop moisture from his tear filled eyes. He quickly scaled the tallest structure available …There he was, approximately one kilometer away. He was moving slow and carrying his wounded friend.

"Captain" He said to the ape who'd just found him. "You continue the attack. Push north and take no prisoners. Their numbers are almost nothing. I'll be there shortly."

Major Ulysses darted off after the two men.

**000**

Karen White smiled and kissed the small computer device she'd named after her late father. "_Norman_, I love you!", she added with a press of her lips.

"What is it ma'am?" the young technician asked in excitement. "Do we have an interface with the ODN?"

"No, Mark" She answered "But something just a good."

Commotion and shouting outside the bunker caught their attention. Seconds later one of the security soldiers came in with a half bloody private. He was ranting about ambushes and claiming Lynch was dead. Moments after that more soldiers arrived. One of the few surviving NCOs finally showed up and stated that everyone was to get a rife. They were going to defend to the last man. …and woman.

He argued that point, for a moment or two with White. She finally trumped the conversation with, "Look Sergeant, I'm still a Captain. Do as I say. Get your men into this bunker right now."

The last few humans were cut in two as the approaching ape army was now only paces away. White ordered the bunker sealed. Bullets and pounding ensued. The old reinforced doors still had enough strength to hold the simians at bay.

She turned to the NCO and asked, "You're sure that's everyone?". He acknowledged with a shrug. The woman picked up _Norman_ and spoke the authentication code. Once it was accepted she pulled up the 3-D interface and powered down reactor. Washington's fail-safe protocols reinitialized. Wireless signals spread over the city like a blanket. DC reached out like a spider stinging its prey. _Fsst__ – __Fsst__ – __Fsst_Apes and the few humans left outside the bunker incinerated instantly. One by one the massive horde of apes disappeared. The screams and cries finally stopped as and eerie silence took their place.

White turned to the dozen survivors and said "Make yourselves comfortable. We're gonna be here for awhile. It will take at least fifteen hours before the fail-safe powers down."

**000**

Hayes could feel the ape gaining. It was like being in a dream where you wanted to run but couldn't move. He was a young man but anyone would be tired from carrying a two hundred pound man over a mile and a half. And that wasn't accounting for the sixty pounds of equipment he was lugging, as well.

A shot hit the brick structure just to his left. _Just__a__little__further_, he thought. March was unconscious. He'd lost a lot of blood. Hayes stopped and laid the man down. He tried to auto target the ape but the display kept stated that no enemy targets were in range.

He flipped the switch to HE and demolished a half collapsed one story building. "That should buy us some time" He said to his unconscious colleague.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he reached it. "Thank God it's still here" the man heaved out, heavily. His lungs were on fire. He pulled the latch and plopped March down on the seat. He was barely inside when the shots glanced off the unknown metallic material of the _Oberon__3_ space pod.

"Let's see how that relic holds up against this" Ulysses said. But before he could squeeze the trigger, he was vaporized in a red mist. Hayes watched as the ape vanished and his melted rifle fell to the ground. For a few seconds he simply stared out into the ruins. March groaned slightly catching his attention. The man was pale and drenched in blood.

"Hold on buddy, just a little longer" he said looking at Tom. "We're going home."

He punched up the preset protocols he'd input earlier. He was grateful he'd moved the pod or it would have been overrun with White and her crew. He thought of White, Grazot and the others for a brief moment, wondering what fate had planned for them. Next he pressed a couple of buttons and bucked in.

The craft shot into the air and went into mach speed almost instantly. The young Air Force Captain punched a few more buttons and noted the lack of G-force. The pod was light-years in technology beyond the _Dreadnaught._Within seconds it broke through the clouds and left the planet behind looking like one speck among many.

It locked in the course and reached the barrier within minutes. Hayes felt some pressure, then heat and finally nothing.


	37. Chapter 37: The Illusion of Peace

**6 months later**

For the first time in centuries outward aggression between ape and man was nearly nonexistent. This new pseudo-peace wasn't without problems and it was far from perfect, but a feeling of stability was evolving. Misgivings and distrusts were still strong; however, through the fist of retaliation St James had forced hostility inward. Rioters had been annihilated. The few initial acts of terrorism completely failed. Rather than having their entire city destroyed, the unorganized resistance was turned in by its own kind. As a symbol of their newly acquired might the humans put on a display that seared images of devastation the apes wouldn't soon forget. All of their heavy equipment had been grouped and obliterated by the ODN. At a minimum it had driven the resisters underground.

The shaky trade agreement between the two species had one positive effect; prosperity. Basic provisions were more readily available. The new trade accord also bought economic growth. People and simians alike were more docile when both their purses and bellies were full. The newly reorganized ape military had also eased up on the civilians under their control. The tax burden was relaxed and private services rendered to the military government were now monetarily compensated. That sparked healthy competition and resulted in an increase quality of both product and service. Under General Voss those services had been mandatory and abusive.

Finally, the last of the humans occupying Ceasera had withdrawn. Control was formally given to the new Territorial commander, General Grazot. Anyone who might cause trouble and the numbers were initially large, went missing or suffered unfortunate accidents. There had been a trial or two but most of the old guard was quietly and decisively dealt with. The illusion of normality was slowly creeping in.

**The ape city of Devoir**

It was a cool but sunny morning. Off in the distance, the final stage of construction to the new Territorial Divisional Headquarters was finishing. The pounding and clanking echoed through the area as apes minced away at the wood, stone, and mortar. In the market wagons, loaded with supplies and wares, trotted back and forth. Apes were bartering, some were simply strolling through the square, and a group of small children were scaling up and down a half constructed structure as their mother frantically tried to establish control.

A simple looking chimpanzee tossed the local merchant a few mixed pieces of copper and silver. "I'd like a jug and some fruit please. And let me get a loaf of that bread too." the ape stated nonchalantly.

The overweight gorilla, on the other side of the long table, smiled and made small talk about the weather as he tossed a few pieces of fruit into a gunnysack. He shouted back to where the ovens were and called for some fresh bread. The plump ape casually looked left, then right, and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket. He dropped it in with the produce and tied the sack. Next, the ape grabbed a small container, filled it with wine and sealed it tight. He handed the chimp the objects and thanked him for the business.

"And what can I do for you, madam?" the gorilla said, immediately turning to the next patron.

The chimpanzee pulled the hood over his head and casually mixed into the crowd. He chuckled at the sight of the female ape that'd finally gathered all of her young ones and was now lecturing them as calmly as she could. The ape deliberately avoided a couple of soldiers who were randomly strolling through the market. He tore off a piece of the hot bread and chewed on it as he gazed around. The sweet taste and pleasing aroma made him all the hungrier.

The city certainly carried an impression of economic success. He noticed a small metallic tracked vehicle off in the distance. The area was gated with armed guards stationed sporadically about. Several uniformed men were unloading boxes. Apes were cataloging items and separating containers. His sources had informed him of the Territory wide initiative to overhaul the existing power system. More benefits provided by their new masters.

It was an unusual sight. The men looked exceptionally sanitary and their uniforms were unsoiled. Quite a different picture than he was used to. Even when he'd first captured one of the animals they were never this well …groomed. The men were still the same scrawny runts they'd always been, but these looked quite a bit more nourished. A human soldier struck a flint and lit a cigar for a chimp conducting inventory. They were both smiling and engaged in light chatter. The ape growled quietly under his breath as he watched the spectacle evolving before his eyes. A year ago he would have never believed what he was now witnessing. It only convinced him more that this new order had to be toppled. These soft headed imbeciles were like smiling swine. Grinning away as they were willingly lead into the slaughter house.

"What in the world has happened?" The Simian angrily stated, accidently dropping his guard. He glanced around to make sure no one had taken notice of him; especially the two soldiers off in the distance. Luckily no one paid him any attention. No, the soft headed swine were too busy rolling in the slop.

The so-called ceasefire seemed to be benefiting the furless vagrants much more than his kind. Food and water were abundant and the threat of constant war was no longer over their heads, but it had been replaced by a threat of; unconditional compliance or total obliteration. The horseless tracked relic made the ape scowl even further. It was an omen of things to come. These humans had a massive advantage with that blasted ancient defensive net and now they were exploiting the technology and information from the old capital, as well. If things didn't change they'd soon become the masters of the whole planet. They'd even allied with the tree-dwelling Visitors. His world was turning on its side and everything stable was spilling out.

They'd already proven they were soulless. The Ceasera riots were a testimony to that. St James hadn't wasted a second. He'd brought down a rain of fire that swallowed half the city. Hundreds of innocent apes … gone, in the blink of an eye.

The man also killed all of the top military without as much as a trial. And he'd watered down the Territorial ranks with soldiers from the northern ape nation. They weren't exactly human sympathizers, but they didn't possess a sorted history with the species either. _Apathy_, he concluded. Something had to be done. He was only one generation away from losing his way of life.

Eventually, the chimp reached the large house. He grabbed the brass handle and knocked on the oak door three times. Seconds later, it opened and he stepped inside. He grabbed the paper from the sack, kept the jug of wine and the bread, and handed the female simian the bag of fruit. "Here you go, Dianna", he said.

"Thank you, Major" she replied.

"Dianna, you have got to stop calling me that. If anyone of significance was to hear, I could end up in a world of hurt. I didn't switch places with a dead soldier so I could be shot out here while buying food." Polk answered. "Now where's your brother?"

Shortly after his incarceration, Major Polk changed places with the Lieutenant sharing his cage. The ape officer died due to the unsanitary condition of the cells and the treatment by his human captors. That opportunity came to the right place at the right time. The two simians were both chimpanzees and posses a similar height and build. Polk quickly switched their uniforms and hung the body of the dead ape from a leather belt. To the humans, they all looked the same. For all they knew, Polk had hung himself out of shame. Shortly after he'd told the humans he was ready to cooperate, gave them some useless information, and was released a few weeks later when the men withdrew from the city.

"Lant's in there" she answered, pointing to a room just down the hall. "He's feeling a little better today but he needs rest."

The Major wrapped on the door. He didn't wait for an invitation and simply walked in. Lant lifted his head and in a tired voice said "Hello Sir, How'd it go?"

"I don't know what it is with this family but you're all determined to see me genuinely hung." Polk stated in a lighthearted but somewhat sober tone. "You've got to lose the military vernacular, my friend." The Major paused, finally taking note of the exhausted Captain. "How are you feeling, today?"

Lant made a comment about old habits dying hard and played down how he actually felt. He was slowly dying of poison. He'd managed to make it to old Buffalo and back but the area was toxic to simians. All thanks to the virus placed on the Prefect's Electronic Operations Center centuries earlier. Sullen's device had inadvertently brought its revenge to Lant's doorstep. The contaminant released from the chemical attack was in the water, soil, plant life, animals, and food. In short, it was everywhere. Lant had mostly eaten rations but at one point they'd caught a couple of wild rabbits and he'd consumed some of the meat. That was all it took. It hadn't been enough to kill him instantly, but it was still strong enough to try. Within days he'd lost strength and coordination. They'd barely made it back home. Every ape in his expedition was now dead except for him.

"Here, I brought you this. It should help with some of the pain, drink" Polk said holding the container up to his mouth.

Lant took in a couple of gulps, thanked him, and followed up on his previous question. "So were they able to make contact?"

"I don't know. Things have been tightened down since the last riot. Let's find out." Polk opened the folded page and read aloud. The written reply was intentionally generic but the meaning was clear. "Gentleapes, I have considered your business proposal and I accept the offer. I hope to be in the city in a few days and would like to discuss the details over a fine meal." Doctor Emus was on his way.

Emus had been, and still was, one of the apes top scientists. In fact, with the executions of Doctors Janus, Ingrid, and Omari he was now, the only, _top_, scientist. His execution was stayed and because the orangutan was incredibly old. He'd been released to the care of his family.

"…A few days. That could be any time now. We probably ought to get that stuff out of sight" Polk stated pointing at the half empty crate.

Captain Lant picked up an odd looking piece of equipment and instinctively shook it. "I wonder what it's for." He said. Lant then set it down and grabbed the flat square disk beside it. The light flicked off the slick surface as he flipped it in his paw. It was the size of a large book but very flat.

Suddenly, as it always did, a rush of pain flared up in Lant's body. His muscles cramped and the device slipped into his lap.

"Take it easy, my friend. Here, give me that thing" Polk said. "Why don't you get some rest? I have some last minute arrangements to make"

**Washington**

"This is the Human Coalition broadcasting in the open. Is anyone picking up our communication?" The automated recording stated. It was transmitting over multiple signals and went off once every hour. It wasn't a global signal but it was strong enough to reach most of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and parts of South America.

"Man, I am getting sick of listening to that thing". The communication's operator stated. "We've been signaling for over four months and no one has replied. It's obvious no one is out there."

"Well when they elect you General, you can stop it." The soldier next to him joked.

The Master Sergeant on duty added his two cents and instructed the two to get back to their duties.

Outside, crews were salvaging metals, plastics and other necessities. Several city blocks had already been cleared and a base of operation was now established. The structures were powered and a pluming system was in the works. It was a massive undertaking but _New__-__Washington_, as it was being called, was slowly rising from the ashes.

**000**

The newly promoted, Captain Berger, strolled through the city and silently thanked God that winter was coming to an end. It had been a relatively cool spring but the frigid temperatures of the last few months made it feel a great deal warmer to the man. He'd spent his winter much farther north than he was used to. The snow and cold he'd personally witnessed was something he hoped he'd never have to deal with again. The older he got the less he cared for it.

He walked into the newly constructed building and up the stairs. It was an odd sensation as he noted the immediate illumination and change in temperature. At the top he met a guard who came to attention and concurrently opened the door. Berger thanked him and stepped inside.

"Ah, welcome back, Captain. How was your trip?" Major Yuden asked. "Forgive me for not standing but…. The man joked, pointing at his mangled leg.

"No worries, Sir, I know how lazy you are" the Captain joked back. "How's the wound holding up?"

"Some days are better than others. I certainly won't be leading any patrols again." He stated. "I'm just lucky to be alive. It's not everyone who can go through an artillery attack and live to brag about it. Get yourself some coffee and relax for a moment" Yuden added, pointing to the pot in the corner. "The Colonel and General should be here shortly. I'll bet you're glad to be back home"

"Glad is an understatement. You wouldn't believe what's out there, Sir." Berger replied. "Cities just like this one; all in ruin. Some with half standing structures and others were just a desolate waste. Most of the landscape is scorched until you get very far into the north. Then it's like being in paradise; trees, grass, rivers, lakes, wild game. I would have never believed it. Course it's colder than a prostitute once she's gotten your gold"

Berger stretched his back and arms and went for the coffee. He poured a cup as he continued. "It took us over a month and a half to reach their territory but we finally made it. And right smack in the middle of their civil war too. Although the miserable weather conditions and massive amounts of snow, slowed things down considerably. They're a pretty backwards bunch. They don't even have a national name. They simply refer to it as; _The__-__Settled__-__Territories_. They also have more of a fear of humans, than your typical hatred. Anyway, with the resources and people we sent, they've been able to secure and hold most of their provinces. There are some pockets of resisters but with those peashooters they carry there's no chance for victory. Their government was nonexistent but they're reestablished a Council. Seems like kind of an odd concept for a bunch of civilians to lead a nation. The return of their Prefect appears to have brought some stability. At a minimum, it's bolstered morale. Their newly acquired firepower has helped with that too. I think that if they…"

Berger stopped and turned his attention to the briefing room door as it briskly swung open. He rose to his feet and stood at attention as General St James and Lieutenant Colonel Nate Childs walked in. Out of habit he almost shouted, "On your feet" but he caught himself beforehand. Yuden had a decent sense of humor but Berger didn't want to accidently insult his superior, or worse, embarrass himself.

Childs had also survived the artillery salvo and miraculously escaped unharmed. Both he and Yuden were in the forward most part of the element when Ulysses gave the order to fire. Once the rounds hit they'd been able to find shelter. Childs replaced the late Thad Lynch as the Brigade Commander. Yuden was promoted to Major and became the new Intelligence Officer.

St James walked in, waved his hand, and added a quick, "As you were".

Berger gave his briefing and addressed the General's questions and concerns. Formal trade with Sullen and his apes had been established but St James's request for an official embassy had been denied. Sullen's nation was not quite ready to have humans, officially or otherwise, running around their provinces. A century and half worth of lies had to be covered with new ones, first.

"Well, that isn't going to kill us." St James said. "It took everything within my power to convince them to let General Grazot stay. And even Grazot was against it. As long as we have their trust and favor, it serves our purposes. I want to blend the ape forces as much as possible. It will keep the Territorial zealots guessing who is in and who is out. If they were ever to unify, they'd out number us ten to one"

"The General should be happier now. His wife was among some of their delegation to return." Berger stated.

"Yes … their delegation. I guess it's time to switch hats and play diplomat for a bit. I want you there, Captain. They're used to you. It will make them feel more at ease."

As St James finished his sentence there was brisk pounding on the door. A skinny young private appeared as it opened and nervously, stated, "Please forgive me, gentlemen but First Sergeant Dentre instructed me to give this to you on your return." The man handed St. James a plastic disk pad.

St James took the communiqué and dismissed the soldier. "What is it Sir?" Childs asked.

The General tapped the pad and said "Let's find out. It has to be important; we weren't supposed to hear from Kawaka for another two weeks or so."

The shiny pad lit up slightly and the recorded message began to play; "General St James, we have an issue we need to discuss immediately. One of our remote outposts was attacked. We do not know who it was but they possess some unique weaponry. Please contact us in two days."

"Two days?" Yuden stated. "If it's so bloody imperative why are we waiting?"

"The communications array we set up requires a significant amount of energy." Berger answered. "We went north with minimal supplies and equipment. They're using our old gear. Takes time to replenish the power. It's old, bulky, and requires a great deal of time to recharge."

"And that's how I want it." St James added. "I'm not ready to neutralize our military advantage. They are, after all, still a bunch of apes. We know little about them. Well, we know enough about them to know they certainly don't have a love for the human race." The man turned to his executive officer and said "Nate, make sure things are ready. This is already a day old."

**Kawaka **

Sullen jerked his head upward as the noise outside of his office abruptly woke him. It was followed by soft knock. He groggily yawned "Come in". With the death of his family and the destruction from the civil uprising, Sullen had made the temporary capital building his home away from home. His age was starting to take its toll. He felt his muscles cramp and his bad knee throbbed from the cold. He didn't have the energy he once possessed and every fiber within wanted nothing more than to doze back off and forget about the world and its problems.

General Mikos opened the door and apologized for the abrupt intrusion. "Please forgive the late disturbance, Lord Prefect".

"It's fine General. Nice to have you back. I just nodded off for a second. Please have a seat and explain what's on your mind" The Prefect said. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms and twisted his head in a circle.

"I wouldn't bother you sir but I didn't think you'd want it to wait until morning either." Mikos replied, taking a chair. "The detachment we sent into the banned territories did not check in as scheduled. Given the conditions of the terrain and the fact that winter is still here, I didn't give it much thought. But as a precaution, I took a full squad of soldiers out to investigate."

Sullen rubbed his temples and yawned again. "Why would you personally go and … never mind General Mikos, please just get to the point."

"Yes Sir, of course." The ape replied in an apologetic tone. "The relay post, due west of Sigma-Two, has been demolished. None of our soldiers were accounted for and we found some …"

"…The humans? The apes to our south …", Sullen shot back interrupting the General in mid sentence.

"We'll to play politician, Sir; yes and no and maybe" Mikos answered.

Sullen gave long sigh accompanied by a look of frustration that was teetering on anger.

"We found something Lord Prefect." Mikos soberly stated "Some sort of metallic vehicle; stronger than steel, but something or someone was able to take it out. I'm guessing it tangled with the small unit at the relay station. It was most likely engaged by one of those advanced rifles. No musket or standard repeater would have put a scratch on whatever that thing was. Whoever did this was probing the outpost. I believe to assess our military capability. We may have gotten lucky because if they possess more of those contraptions we won't stand a chance"

"That doesn't answer my question." Sullen stated this time with no signs of fatigue. "Was it the humans or the apes?"

"Sir," Mikos replied, "both the humans and the apes already know our military capability. Besides, why attack? We've just established trade. Why spend three months here helping us only to assault an outpost that's completely insignificant? Above and beyond that, neither nation contains machines like the one I saw. And there was some kind of bird pained on its side with the letters _IM_-on a banner in its talons"

"So what now?" Sullen asked. "We have yet another nest of …who-knows-what… running amuck in the Banned Territories?" His mind immediately thought of March and Hayes. Those two lunatics had General Grazot completely spellbound. They were constantly babbling on about equipment such as Mikos had just described. Maybe he'd finally discovered their tribe after all. Or worse, that tribe had now discovered them.

"Wake The Council immediately. Does the array contain enough power to send a message south?" Sullen asked.

"We're not scheduled to exchange status reports for a few weeks but there should be enough energy to send for a minute or two." Mikos answered.

**Three months and two weeks earlier -** **Somewhere in old western Nevada**

The human Communication's Officer and his RTS (*_Radio__-__Transmission__-__Specialist_) walked into the Imperiam Monarch Command center. They presented their identification and entered the security compound. The two were questioned, scanned, and then allowed to proceed.

"Good work, Eldon. You may get a promotion out of this." he stated, once they were through the check-point.

"Thank you, Sir but we all played our part. It wasn't just me. The entire section worked at pinpointing the location." Eldon replied.

"Alright, let's bring Cade the good news." The Lieutenant Colonel said as they reached their destination. He opened the door and simultaneously knocked. General Cade looked up and welcomed the two into the room. He offered refreshments but they both declined. The General poured himself a glass of whisky anyway.

"OK", he said as he gulped down the homemade concoction, "tell me what you've got."

"What we have Sir, is them" The Communication's Officer started to explain "We have a fixed location. Sergeant Eldon was able to triangulate all of the traffic. The consistent static broadcasts from that Human Coalition is east of here. It's a long ways off; about twenty six hundred miles. The other communications traffic is coming from the same area but broadcasting north of their location. That signal is closer, but it's still a good eighteen hundred miles northeast of here. Colonel Landry communicated with one of the desert excavation units. They were far into the north but still a several hundred miles shy. He wants eyes on the ground and they're the closest element to the signal. Those units have armor support."

"Well that's one piece of the puzzle." The gorilla General stated. "I'll contact Lord Darin. He's been waiting for an update."

**The ape city of Devoir (present day)**

Doctor Emus sat for a minute as he caught his breath. He was old and the trip to Devoir had taken its toll. Dianna brought in some hot tea accompanied by bread and jam. She placed it on the table, smiled at the old ape, and left the room. Polk had paid a lot money setting things up but no amount of wealth could turn back the wheels of time. Emus took a drink and ate some of the bread.

"How are you doctor? What can I do to make you more comfortable?" Polk asked.

"I'm fine, just not as quick as I once was, Major Polk". Emus replied. "The important thing is that though I'm slowing down physically, I still have my scruples. I'm not quite ready for the garbage heap. Now let me see the relics. I'm most anxious to look at them."

Polk left the room and returned shortly with a crate. Emus took a pair of thick spectacles out of his jacket and put them on. One by one he looked over the items in the box. Some he discarded as junk, others he segregated to the side, while others he simply cannibalized. He worked for several hours. His paws were rickety but he finally pieced the items together.

Emus adjusted and fidgeted with gadget until something very disturbing caught his attention. The ape tapped his cane on the floor a few times. Within seconds the Major was opening the door and asking if everything was alright. Captain Lant followed and took a chair in the corner.

"Yes" Emus stated. "I've been finished for awhile. There's something you have to hear"

"…To hear?" Polk asked not really understanding. Emus explained that Lant had recovered communications equipment. Not all of it was there but he'd been able to piecemeal and _fill__-__in__-__the__-__gaps_, as he'd claimed. Polk's initial reaction was anger. He needed weaponry, not fancy toys. But Emus quickly explained this tool was a very useful spy device.

"Major please" The ape said trying to reel the simian in. "There's something you have to hear". Without having the will or energy to explain further, Emus pressed the button and played the message.

_Imperiam__-__command,__-__this__-__is__-__Monarch-2,__-__survalence__-__completed.__We__-__face__-__multiple__-__threats.__ -__The__-__eastern__-__kingdom__-__is__-__simian.__ -__From__-__what__-__I__-__gather__-__there's__-__a__-__second__-__simian__-__nation__-__to__-__the__-__north__-__and__-__a__-__human__-__kingdom__-__farther__-__east.__ -__I__-__have__-__mapped__-__their__-__capital__-__and__-__cataloged__-__their__-__military__-__defenses.__ -__I've__-__obtained__-__local maps__-__and__-__plan__-__to__-__return__-__to__-__the__-__Empire,_ -_on__-__time,__and__-__as__-__ordered_.

There was dead air for a few seconds and then a quick reply. After that it was just static.

"Imperiam? …The Empire?" Polk said not fully understanding. "…uh I mean, what's it all …mean?"

"I don't know." Emus said. He tapped some additional keys "The first transmission came from Tepoc. The location of the second communications came from there." Emus stated pointing at the 3-D map.

Polk snorted out a mild laughed. Not at Emus but in disbelief. "That's all desert. It's a wasteland. There's nothing there."

"Yes Sir, that's the same reaction Voss had when the Visitors arrived" Lant claimed.


	38. Chapter 38 Enemies Within

**Tepoc City**

It was early morning when Polk arrived in the City. He was wrapped from head to toe to stave off the cold night air. He slowed the horse and wagon a ways off from the main entrance. The ape dismounted from his seat and blew a burst of warm hot breath into his paws. He looked around and squinted towards the brush to his front. He then turned a quick three hundred and sixty degrees but still spotted nothing.

"Where are you?" he muttered under his breath as he searched for his contact. His horse neighed and jerked the wagon as the cool morning air joined the perspiration on its pelt. He took out a bag of oats and placed it in front of the stallion. He rubbed her shout and patted her softly on the neck. "Shhhh girl, Shhhh. Here you go, Hon" he added with affection.

Minutes later an ape emerged from the foliage. He intentionally came out behind Polk and softly said "Turn around, slowly". Once he made positive identification he lowered the weapon but maintained a rather distant demeanor. "Give me the payment" he demanded sternly. Polk tossed the simian a small bag. The orangutan opened the pouch and began counting out the currency. He pulled out a large gold coin and twisted it in the moon light as he watched it glisten. He smiled as he dropped it back into the sack, jingling the coins. "Music to my ears" he stated.

"Look …whoever you are … It's all there and I'm freezing my tail off out here." Polk said letting his irritation show.

"Keep your bloody voice down, Major" the ape warned. "You're going to give us away". He eyed the pouch and then looked up at Polk and shook his head. He finished with, "Ok, it had better all be here though". It was a hollow threat but the ape felt better saying it.

Before Polk could reply, the simian tossed him a set of work clothes. "Put these on, quickly", he instructed, "And don't say anything to the sentries at the gate. You pretend you're sleeping. I'll do all of the talking. We don't want you recognized". The tone was sincere but what he really meant was, "I don't want you screwing things up. I have a lot of gold at stake"

Polk threw on the assorted garb and helped the grumpy orangutan stack some tools in the back of the wagon. They'd been stashed in the woods a day earlier. Once the items were loaded, the two climbed on the cart and entered the city. Polk's contact had all of the paperwork and knew just what do and say. Gold was a heavy motivator and the primate had planned things down to the smallest detail.

Once they were inside, the ape guided the cart through the main section of town and then into a small business district. He stopped the wagon in front of an old building and said, "Ok, this is it. There's a room above that shop waiting for you. You can enter through a door at the top of those stairs, just around the corner. It's cold and drafty but inconspicuous, as you requested. You can stable your horse there" he added pointing to a large barn-like structure at the end of the road. The ape dismounted, grabbed the sack of coins, and slipped away into the darkness with a gloating; "And that concludes our business", rolling off his tongue.

Polk lodged his horse and gave the stable owner a few extra pieces of copper for waking him so early. It wasn't a lot but seemed to appease the old ape. No need to rock the boat and draw attention by upsetting the local merchants. And there was no need to flash large sums of currency about, either.

He walked down the empty streets and slipped into an alley as a random squad of soldiers passed by. The Major noted how sloppy they were. It looked more like a stroll through the park than a standard patrol. They were laughing and joking and gave the alleyway little attention. "These fools wouldn't spot the sun on a clear summer's day" he mumbled once they'd passed. He was certainly a long way from home.

Moments later he reached his new residence. Polk climbed the wooden stairs and lit a candle, once he was inside and secure. His new dwelling was anything but luxurious, however it would suffice. There was a bed, a modest kitchen and a small work area. It was very drafty and in need of repair but for now it would suit the ape's purpose just fine. Besides, with any luck he'd be here for only a short time.

"Ok, let's see if all that gold I spent paid off." He said looking under the table. He noticed the small box containing the items he'd requested along with some food. Within minutes he'd set up the communications equipment. He pulled out a piece of folded paper and followed the instructions Dr Emus had relayed. The instrument hummed softly and gave off a dull bluish hue.

"Ok, the cheese out, let's see if I can catch a rat" He said. Polk covered the equipment with a blanket. He then laid his tired body on the tiny cot and fell quickly asleep.

**The ape city of Devoir – Three days later**

The meeting with Kawaka ended an hour earlier and St James and the human delegation were on their way back to New Washington. Though Grazot's command had been established for half a year, contention with his blended staff still caused many problems. All of the old leadership was either imprisoned or long dead but there were countless apes who wanted nothing to do with the hated humans. And rightly so; if Grazot were honest part of him mildly agreed. They were supposed to be allies but it was obvious that General St James was pulling the strings. Of course he'd been upfront and at times quite blunt about reminding the apes they were there as conquerors and not liberators. Grazot had steered him clear of that expression when the last meeting nearly ended in the start of a new war. And after all, he hadn't conquered Kawaka and unless he wanted to deal with strictly Territorial apes he'd better find a way to either expand or curve his vocabulary. Sullen was already entertaining thoughts of severing ties now that the Territorial nation was on a leash. Patrols and reconnaissance missions were already underway in the Banned Territories. The once 'protector of technology' was now doing everything he could to equalize the playing field. Grazot knew that in time his nation would step into a new era. He'd come a long way since he'd first decided to ally with March and Hayes but he still believed wholeheartedly in obtaining as much of that technology as possible; For it held the keys to absolute might and power.

His immediate problem was that there simply were not enough apes left from Narr's Contingent to fill every spot on his staff. And the few that had been captured by St James lacked the experience to fill senior positions. And those he'd released longed for home and family. Grazot had little choice but to pick and promote some of the qualified Territorial officers; Colonel Eli was a prime example. Eli had been in the Territorial Army since he was eighteen. The ape was now approaching forty. He'd spent several years in the enlisted ranks before receiving a field commission in his late twenties. He was battle hardened and straightforward but had spent much of his recent career in Tepoc, tucked away as an administrative liaison. Grazot appreciated his candor but his stubborn temper was not easy to swallow. Eli was well respected and well known, not only in Tepoc but also in Devoir. The soldiers held him in high esteem and were extremely loyal. That also, was something of a two edged sword, but for now it had solved many a problem. Unfortunately, the ape also loathed the humans and was directly confrontational with any he came in contact with.

"I don't believe a word of it." Colonel Eli stated dragging the argument out. "The western lands are nothing but desert. We've scouted hundreds of miles it. No ape has ever found as much as a blade of grass out there. And how long are we going to be led around like a pack of dogs by these filthy mongrels? Instead of working with them we ought to be finding a way to neutralize or steal their newly acquired advantage. That gloating human General walks around waving his arms and making demands and we sit here like a bunch of pups nodding our heads in obedience. How effective would that ODN be if we matched into his territories with an army? He couldn't even use it unless he wanted to wipe out his kind along with us."

"That's enough Eli" Grazot rebuked back in anger. "If I've heard this speech once I've heard it a hundred times. They could hit us anywhere and at any time and you know that. It doesn't matter where our armies sit. He could flatten Ceasera, Tepoc and several other cities all at once. Just how do we resupply or reinforce when everything is dust and everyone is dead? And you can thank my predecessor, General Voss for all of this. If that fool had welcomed the Visitors instead of sending them out to be butchered, things would now be quite different. The northern ape nation owes that, 'gloating human General', their lives. Too much has changed and pointing a gun first and asking questions later isn't going to do anything but get more of us killed and strengthen the humans hold further."

Eli huffed and began to respond but Grazot shut him down with a defiant glare.

"I'm not finished, Colonel, but you are." he continued "I do believe the threat Kawaka reported and I don't want to hear another word on the subject. You're a damn fine officer Eli but you let your emotions rule your brain. For now we take what we can get. St James has agreed to help refit our factories. That in itself is a huge step towards gaining our autonomy. Besides, two thirds of Ceasera is already independently powered. Our citizens are content. And content citizens are obedient ones. It's been months since we've had even a hint of riots". Grazot laughed inside. If he hadn't said it himself he would have thought the words were coming from the mouth of Magistrate Ndola.

The other staff officers shared their opinions and the meeting concluded shortly after. Once Grazot left the room an ape Major pulled Eli aside, "Sir" he stated. "What do you really make of all of this? Why would St James lie about such a thing? The Visitor leader sounded quite convincing. We're already under the Humans thumb of oppression. Why make up some crazy story like this? What is there to gain? It couldn't be to send us out to the desert to die. Grazot is right; they could flatten us anytime and anywhere they wanted."

"A lot of things don't make sense, my friend." Eli replied laying a paw on the apes shoulder. "Like our new commander, for example. I've never heard of a _Colonel_ Grazot. Even if he is from the outer city of Dassikar and even if he was held captive by the humans for all those years as he's stated; why does no one know him? And why is he so accommodating to his former jailors? Something isn't right but I haven't quite figured it out. Maybe it's the lure of power. Grazot seems very comfortable playing the alpha-male. Or maybe he's been paid off. I don't know but for now, he's right. We have no choice but to work with the animals until we're in a strong enough position to sever those ties entirely."

Eli left the briefing room and went back to his office to make preparation for the factory refit. The thought of returning to his family pleased him. He'd been away for too long. His infant sons would be grown apes if he lingered much longer. He poured himself a shot of whisky and opened the curtains to let in some of the afternoon light.

The ape paused as he noticed Grazot walking down the wide brick steps. Off in the distance an oddly dressed ape approached the General. Grazot looked startled. They argued but it ended suddenly. The General abruptly followed the simian to a wagon. The two climbed on top and the cart moved away.

"What in the…" Eli stated. "I told that fool he shouldn't walk around without some kind of armed escort."

Without hesitation the gorilla Colonel opened the window and skillfully leapt to a tree and then another and finally to a third. He dropped to his feet and confiscated the first horse he saw. Eli followed the two to a large house, opposite the market. Grazot and the mysterious ape got down from the cart and entered the home.

Eli dismounted and eyed the dwelling as he summed up the possible courses of action. Going through the front was not an option. On the side were a series of window. The gorilla looked around and leapt several feet into the air. He landed gracefully on the ground and slowly peered in the room …nothing. It was empty. He could hear talking but it was too muffled to comprehend.

Eli forced the latch and slithered inside like a large nine foot, seven hundred pound furry snake. The door on the opposite side of the room creaked as he pulled it open and peeked out. His eyes took a minute to adjust to the change in light.

He could hear Grazot. The voices were still muffled but the sound was recognizable. At the end of the long hallway, a female strolled past his view. Eli opened the creaky door further. It sounded like the percussion of a thousand instruments to the Colonel. Part of him felt like he'd just surrendered the element of surprise. Seconds later, however, he overpowered the female.

"ok" he whispered. "I'm going to remove my paw from your mouth and you're going to tell me where I can find Grazot. You scream and I'll snap your neck like a twig. Then I'll find him anyway. You be smart missy and this will be over quickly."

The petrified female didn't say a word but simply pointed towards the adjacent hallway and at a door on the far end. Eli instructed her to move slowly down the hallway. She was to knock on the door. If she was invited in she would open it and step inside. If not, she was to inform the occupants that someone suspicious was on the grounds in an attempt to lure them out.

_Knock-knock_

The apes in the room stopped what they were discussing as Polk turned and said "Yes, Dianna what is it?"

The door flung open and Dianna came stumbling in thanks to a firm shove from Eli. The female was followed by the Colonel holding a pistol. "Don't move" he said but hesitated as he recognized the chimpanzee to his right.

"Major Polk?" he asked in bewilderment. "Is that you …Sir?"

The sight was odd. It was indeed Polk. Another chimp was sitting at a table and a third ape was chained to a chair. The chained simian was unconscious and looked intoxicated; no, Eli concluded after taking a good look; he was drugged.

"Eli?" Grazot said "How did you know…"

"We don't have time for this" Polk interrupted. "Lower your sidearm, Colonel" he added. The word _Colonel_ contained a ring of distinct sarcasm.

"The General and I go way back" Polk lied. "We served together during The Push, when we purged the southern ruins. I haven't kidnapped Grazot; I've brought him here because our nation is at great risk."

The Push took place more than twenty years earlier. The southern ruins were scarce on food but heavy with resources. It was a long forgotten, obsolete skirmish and it suited Polk's purpose perfectly. Grazot however was somewhat perplexed. Why hadn't Polk exposed him? An ape like Eli would surely jump on the _Polk-band-wagon_, if the truth were ever to emerge.

"I don't understand." Eli stated. "What's going on?"

"We have mice, my dear Colonel. And I don't have time to rehash everything." Polk stated.

"Huh?" Eli replied looking puzzled.

"That ape there is a scout from somewhere to the west." Polk explained. "He's part of a team that's here to assess our strength, defenses …anything that will give them an advantage. It's worse than that. There's more of them out there."

Despite his comment earlier, Polk spent the next hour going over everything he'd just explained to Grazot. Eli started piecing things together. St James and the Visitor leader weren't lying after all. Some kind of rouge element existed with remarkable relics. And if invasion was on their minds these newly acquired artifacts had to be something that rivaled the ODN.

When Polk had ended there was a small pause until Grazot spoke up. "Any attack would be suicide. As long as St James controls those orbital weapons no one will be able to sustain a successful conflict."

"Yes" Polk answered in a bitter tone. "It would seem that our new masters have an ace up their sleeves. The key however is, _seem_. There's more to this ape's story and if it's true, there's not just one mouse in the walls, there's a nest of them. And this is a unique situation. We're not dealing simply with human enemies, as we normally have. Men who look nothing like apes. Men who stand out, and are quite distinct. We're dealing with our own kind and that elevates this threat to a new plane. Any ape on the street could be one of these Empire fanatics and we'd never know it"

"Major" Eli replied "How do you know he's not lying? …Some kind of deranged lunatic who spent too much time in the desert?"

"Zolarin, Colonel" Polk answered.

"Zolarin?" Eli echoed immediately. "It's effective but also a known killer. Voss only sanctioned its use in extreme cases."

"And armed invasion isn't extreme to you, Colonel." Polk shot back with authority. As far as he was concerned this so-called Territorial Colonel was just a prop in the new human run government. Grazot fit that role too but due to abnormal circumstances the ape General had influence and was now a means to an end. The Major had already concluded that this situation was larger than that and the clock was ticking.

Polk took a step forward, invading the gorilla Colonel's personal space. Oddly enough Eli backed down. Sometimes perception trumped reality and in this case Polk's reputation, former position, and command presence all took to the forefront, all at one time. "Voss isn't here and as I said; this _is_ extreme, _Colonel_. These rouge … westerners … are organized and highly developed and they're on the march. There's more." Polk paused. "Their nation is an empire consisting of both apes and humans. There are rouge human spies in their cities as well."

Eli almost didn't accept it, but Zolarin was never wrong. "What do they want, Major Polk?" he asked.

"What does any invading Army want? Resources, food, spoils, salve labor. Take your pick but make it fast because there's no time." Polk answered.

Polk turned to Grazot. "Now my old friend, I suggest we send the Colonel back to contact St James. If there are human spies in his ranks, and I have every reason to believe there are, we can't risk allowing them access to the ODN."

Polk didn't wait for a reply and addressed Eli again. "Set up the meeting as soon as possible. Tell them it's imperative that we meet in the old capital, not Devoir. Do not divulge what we've spoke of. You simply state you're doing what General Grazot instructed and that it's highly urgent. …HIGHLY urgent, Colonel!"

Eli looked at Grazot who shook his head in agreement. Inside, however, this was coming at him too fast. He couldn't help but feel he was being set up. Eli holstered his side arm and apologized to the female ape. He then said "Ok, but you'd better have rock solid proof Major or St James is going to have you publically hung." And with that statement, he left the room.

Once it was obvious the ape Colonel was gone Grazot spoke up. "Ok _old-friend_. What gives? Why didn't you tell him who I was?"

"Does it matter?" Polk answered. "What good would an internal civil war do us, other than insuring our defeat? Eli is correct. Zolarin is highly efficient. That one there sang like a lark after I gave it to him. If even half of what he declared is true this Empire is a bigger threat than you or ten human Generals."

"Well, the humans and that fool of an ape delegation from Kawaka brought my wife back. All it will take is a few loose words from her and you'll have the civil war you fear." Grazot replied.

**The Banned Territories (Somewhere in the old western United States)**

"What do we do?" the ape foot soldier asked the Group Sergeant. "There are too many of them and they'll be on top of us any second."

The dust from the approaching mechanized vehicles made the area look like one long golden-brown cloud. The gorilla NCO glanced around quickly and said "That rock formation, adjacent to that small hill …We'll hide there. It's larger than this one and should proved adequate concealment. With any luck they'll travel right past us".

No sooner had they both moved when a deafening sound of thunder echoed through the air. Their former position went up in a ball of red-black smoke. The force of the blast sent the two gorillas flying through the air like dried leaves on a windy day. Sand, dirt, and rock fragments peppered the area in every direction.

A second explosion followed, accompanied by automatic weapons fire. The Group Sergeant looked back only to see what was left of Corporal Brokk. And it wasn't much. He tried to put weight on his left leg as pain shot through his body. "I'm injured damn it" he coughed out. Putting the burden on the other three appendages the simian worked his way to the rock formation. He shook his head twice trying to get the ringing sound in his ears to subside.

A wheeled vehicle stopped and a mix of armed apes and humans spilled out. A human officer was barking out orders at the others. The Group Sergeant wrinkled his brow as he heard the animal speak. It was one of the oddest things he'd ever witnessed.

"Over here Sir", one of the combatants stated. "We hit something, maybe an animal. There isn't much left."

"It was no animal." An ape soldier replied, "Unless animals are now wearing leather clothes." The soldier handed the tattered material to his superior. The officer stopped and looked around as he rubbed the material in his fingers.

The next action the Group Sergeant observed was as strange as the talking man. The human squeezed a small four-sided figure clipped to strap on his chest and spoke into. As it spoke back the NCO flinched, almost giving his location away.

"Alright, everyone muster up." The officer ordered. "Tracks four and six are going to saturate the area in thirty… but before they do..." The human lowered his weapon, flipped a switch on his rifle. Group Sergeant Gerit never saw it coming. The round hit his position and blew him and the rock formation into nonexistence. The Lieutenant had spotted the trail of blood and prints leading away much earlier. He'd simply waited for thermal verification from the Fire Direction Officer before taking action.

He concluded with, "Ok, the FDO confirms that there are no more hostile heat signatures in the area. Sergeant Augusta, call in our situation to Battalion HQ. The rest of you mount up. The sun is setting and it's freezing out here."

**Kawaka**

The medium sized piece of equipment cried out as if it had a mind of its own. "Prefect, Prefect, This is Sigma-Twelve. We're under attack. I say again, we are under attack. Multiple mechanical vehicles and an unknown number of unidentified hostiles identified. Requesting we initiate _TGS12_, immediately" The metallic voice echoed within the small four walls. Sullen sprang up from his bed, half asleep, in a confused stupor. He mumbled something negative about this these things always happening in the middle of the night as he moved towards the device. His logic quickly trumped his annoyance as his brain processed what was actually taking place.

TGS12 was the predestinated emergence response code that St James and Sullen had worked out after the initial incursion, by the Imperiam, in the Banned Territories. Predetermined targets were now established, in key regions, with a unique identifier. In this case, it was TGS12. This was one of the rare cases where Sullen felt grateful for human intercession. St James had strongly suggested instituting these procedures and rehearsing the particulars on a regular basis. It was now time to see if all of that preparation would pay off.

The Prefect flipped the lid and a green-gray 3-D image of the ape officer appeared. Sullen could hear the shouting and weapons fire as if it were just outside his window. Without hesitation he brought the palm of his paw down on the red button to the object's left. "TGS12 approved." He shouted. The ape pulled out a book and began to flip through the pages. Adrenalin began coursing though his body, his blood pressure rose and the ape actually began to mildly perspire. "… TGS12 …TGS12" he mumbled anxiously searching for the authorization code. The room was dark. He hadn't had time to light the oil lamp, but the illumination from the box to his front was all he needed.

Within seconds a metallic voice stated, "Ready for DNA verification".

Sullen placed his palm on the flat pad. The DNA validation process took less than a second. "DNA match accepted at 99.099673 percent. Authenticate – Whisky-Tango. Scrambling in twenty-seconds …nineteen … eighteen …seventeen …"

Sullen frantically rolled his finger down the page looking for the _Whisky-Tango_ auth-complement. "How am I supposed concentrate with that blasted thing counting?" he angrily mumbled. After what seemed like an eternity he found it. "I authenticate; uh, Oscar-Seven".

"Authentication accepted. Please have all friendly elements withdraw to the designated shelters." The voice instructed. "Birds are in the air".

**Argos – Sigma-Twelve**

Colonel Plateaus didn't wait for Sullen's reply. He'd heard the automated voice just as clearly as Sullen had. The officer yelled to one of the ape posted on the line and shouted: "Light it. Now!". Major Kossas dropped the torch. The sparks rose and moments later the line of black powder went off in rapid succession. The whole area lit up as if it were mid-day and quickly became saturated with a thick gray-black smoke. Kossas and the others were long gone before the first explosion ever took place. It did minimal damage to the approaching militia but slowed them down enough for the apes to take refuge.

The confused aggressors halted their advance and took cover where it was available. They indiscriminately fired into the obscure cloud, expecting some sort of counter offensive. Officers were shouting orders and soldiers were scurrying back and forth as they speculated and second guessed the next series of events. "Switch from starlight to infrared" one of the men shouted. "Bring the armor units on line."

The pause was long enough for the ODN to launch and reach its targets. The inbound projectiles coordinated amongst themselves accounting for; terrain, weather, and identified heat signatures. Adjustments and millisecond recalculations took place. The armed forces below realized what was happening a little too late. The series of detonations shook the ground and steel rain pelted a span of several kilometers. It took approximately three minutes but as quickly as the attack came, it ended. When the smoke and flames subsided, nothing was left standing. Craters, dirt mounds, scorched burning earth and mangled debris were everywhere. Fire crews attended to the parts of Sigma-Twelve that had been hit during the initial assault and the ODN retaliation.

Plateaus looked around in unbelief. He'd been briefed and they'd conducted several mock simulations. But seeing it played out in reality brought a whole new prospective. The deafening sounds, the extent of the destruction, all of was beyond imagination. The Colonel gave the order to search for survivors and salvage anything of value. He ordered a subordinate to contact Kawaka with an update. The last thing he did was raise his head upward and thank the great ape for his deliverance.

…Moments later…

"…Yes, Prefect we'll keep you posted. It's quite fortunate they attacked here and not at the northern part of the Argos Net. The new communications equipment isn't fully setup there. Our power cells are almost exhausted Sir, I'll contact you soon with more; Sigma-Twelve out."

**Kawaka**

Sullen sat in his chair as the first part of the message rolled around in his head. "Yes … how _fortunate_ … What are the odds?"

The Prefect rose from chair grabbed his cloak and went to wake The Council.

**Banned Territories; Five Miles from Sigma-Twelve**

Lieutenant Colonel Parks adjusted the settings on the heads-up display of his field-gear. He spoke into attached mike wirelessly linked to a combat-recorder. He noted several battlefield statics as the mechanized unit and infantry support elements advanced forward towards Sigma-Twelve.

"What exactly are we looking for Sir?" Sergeant Eldon asked.

"We're just observing the events" Parks answered.

They both witnessed the black powder, the smoke and the ODN response. Park wrote the information down without as much as a gasp. When the _events_ were over he turned to Eldon and said. "Ok, let's add this data to the rest and send in the intelligence."

"Seems like a waste, Sir. I mean all of those lives." Eldon stated.

"They were all told the risk and any criminal who has a chance to escape death, no matter the odd, usually takes it. Besides, we had to see what this ODN is capable of. The small amount of lives lost today will hopefully save a lot of other lives down the road. We'll never survive an attack as long as that thing is at their disposal." Parks replied. "Have Ulosski send in our report and then contact Monarch-1. We can recall Captain Rostra's team we have all the information we need."

**New Washington**

"I got lost …lost, I'm telling you! That's all!" the woman stated. She flashed Berger a smile and reached out and touched his forearm. "What's the big deal, anyway?" The woman was attractive and Berger found himself actually falling for the obvious ruse.

"Lost huh?" Captain Berger quickly replied, stuffing his attraction deep inside. "You just happened to stumble into the Coalition Mainframe and decided to access the catalogs? And what are these; unregistered relics? Why do they look new? Where did you …"

Berger felt a slight prick. When he awoke he was on a bed with several people looking him over. His head was throbbing. "Just sit tight." Lieutenant Colonel Childs said as he gently pushed the Captain back to a prone position. "Do you remember what happened?"

Berger explained the events that recently took place. But Childs was already up to speed. "We know Captain. The ape leadership is here and I've been sent to retrieve you. A lot is going on. The northern nation was attacked and it wasn't from us"

Berger laughed and rubbed his aching forehead. "Preposterous, who else is there?"

"That's what we're hoping to find out. Get yourself together and meet us in building fifteen in thirty minutes.


	39. Chapter 39: The New Threat, Exposed

**Day: Unknown. Time: Unknown. Place: Old Southwestern United States**

The Holo-Screen picked up the object as the other mechanical paraphernalia in the room lit up like a Christmas tree. The man monitoring the equipment shouted and the once quiet space erupted with noise and busy activity. A sleeping Lieutenant jumped up, startled by the sudden commotion. His chair fell to one side and hit the floor with a thump. The radar operator chucked inside as he noticed the awkward event. "Officers…" he mumbled softly, shaking his head.

"Someone got something into orbit. How?" the Lieutenant asked, composing himself as best as he could. He eyed the 3D image for a moment. "Can you pinpoint its origin?"

"It's reflecting our scans, so I can't confirm it 100%. However, by calculating the velocity, distance, and angle it was launched from the other side of the continent. My guess is that it's some type of missile, Sir. It's about the right size anyway. The speed is incredible and it's heading directly towards us. Impact in approximately three minutes and twelve seconds" the radar operator stated.

"You know what to do." The chimpanzee Lieutenant replied pointing at three others sitting at an adjacent consol. "Initialize the automated Air-Defense software and ready the EH Cannons!"

"Already on it, LT" a female soldier replied. "EH Cannons initialized and at 86%".

The team pushed buttons and adjusted a small number of holo-panels. A few seconds later the EM Hyper Cannon fired and struck its target. The Oberon-3 jolted as several internal systems went offline. The ship twisted from a second pulse, rocking the craft further. The small transport tumbled towards the atmosphere and lit up the skyline with a bright orange glow as its leaking fuel ignited.

Inside the ship the jostled Jonathan Hayes frantically tried to level the toppling craft. it slammed into the upper atmosphere with a firm jolt. The vessel was highly advanced and the metallic structure shielded a majority of the heat. However, it had also taken a beating in its brief exposure to the spacial barrier. The Oberon-3 was in an accelerated descent. It was traveling too fast and the angle of approach was too flat. The ship began to buckle.

The EM pulse had neutralized a majority of the ship's operational software, but the emergency systems were protected with refractive shielding. Hayes managed to level the craft as a third pulse clipped the hull. He cussed angrily as he was thrown backwards. The equipment sparked and fire containment vents opened spraying a thick white mist. The built in fail-safe initiated as the small vehicle scarcely exited outer space in one piece. It descended back to Earth with automated thrusters firing in a calculated sequence. They slowed the ship enough to save the lives of the men inside. Minutes later it impacted with the hot sand and skipped across the desert like a stone skipping across a pond. It ground to a halt several miles outside the city boundaries.

"Bogie down, LT" a voice reported. "No explosion on impact, Sir. Radar's showing all clear. No more bandits in the air"

"Notify the containment units and open the V.V.L. I want this mess delegated off my plate" The chimp stated. "And keep the Hyper Cannons online for now. This may have been a probing shot. Stark, go wake up the Captain and Major Gull. If I know Gull he'll want to look at this thing first hand"

**OOO - Later**

Captain Hayes blinked as his vision faded from a vivid red blur to a smudged white haze. His ears echoed as if he was picking up the sound of distant voices. The reverberations bounced inside his brain. He closed his eyes and pressed them hard with the palms of his hands in an attempt to rub out the disorientation. The man to his side was unconscious, soaked in blood, and slumped over. His mind rushed back to the all too familiar scene he'd experienced when the Dreadnaught crash landed.

"Get 'em out of there" the voice shouted to the others. "Murphy, look them over but don't waste any of our medical supplies unless it's life threatening. And if it is, just save one, the other can die. We only need one for interrogation. Take those weapons too."

"Easy does it buddy." a voice said to Hayes. The astronaut tried to answer but couldn't seem to get any of the words out. Instead he just coughed. His head throbbed and a nauseated feeling arose as he was jerked free.

Two other bodies helped pull Hayes out of the aircraft. They placed him on a make-shift stretcher and carried him off. A third put two fingers on the neck of March, searching for a pulse. "He's alive, but just barely. This one's going to need blood, human blood" Scott Murphy shouted.

Off in the distance the two figures observed as Hayes and March were removed from the craft and carted off. Large salvage equipment picked up, what was left, of the Oberon-3. Technicians pulled circuitry, computer parts and samples of the metallic hull for analysis. Items were tagged and segregated as engineers and scientists hauled them away for study.

"What do you make of it?" the man asked.

"I have no idea, Sir" the orangutan replied. "But this is larger than us. This thing lit up every radar defense system we have. We recently discovered that we're not alone here. But if the enemy possesses equipment like this, we're in for a lot of trouble. We don't have the facilities or resources to produce aircraft. The cabinet and the Emperor are both going to be screaming for answers. And you can bet that Imperiam Intelligence is on their way here. It's already been V.V.L'd up the chain by some half scared Lieutenant."

V.V.L. stood for Video and Voice Link. It was the Imperiam's SOP for all military transmissions.

"You're right. Every bureaucrat in the Monarch is going to be crawling all over this. Half of the Empire is screaming, _invasion_. We may finally get the answer to a twenty year old question."

**** Months Later**

The small access at the bottom of the chamber door opened. A metallic tray, with something that resembled food, slid into the cell. It was accompanied by a bowl of water. The body of Tom March ached as he rolled off of the filthy cot and crawled towards the slop. His stomach welcomed the nutrition and even an act this small broke up the insane boredom. He picked up the plate and washed down the slimy paste in a couple of swallows. The taste was horrific but his stomach cried for more. He gulped down the stale water and let the last few drops drip on the end of his tongue.

The random beatings and endless questioning had stopped. He hadn't seen Hayes in who knew how long. He'd been told his comrade was dead but his instincts knew better. These people were desperate for information otherwise they'd both be dead. In some way they seemed as lost he was. Their line of questioning indicated a sort of puzzling isolation. What he couldn't understand was why the interrogations suddenly stopped. He'd been confined to this cell for …he paused and counted the tick marks he'd made… for twenty two days, he concluded. His only friends were the occasional hand or paw that dropped off or picked up his plate. He contemplated escaping, but he was too weak and there were no gaps in their security. The cell was some type of hardened steel and even a hit from a tank couldn't open it. Besides, where would he escape to? He had no idea where 'here' even was.

No sooner had he concluded that thought when the bolt on the front of the door slid back and two men accompanied by an ape stepped in. The rush of light blinded the man. He instinctively raised a forearm to shield the sudden rush of light.

"Get him cleaned up, give him a proper meal, and have him brought to C level room 17". One of the men ordered.

The ape and the other man scooped up March and dragged him off.

**** C level room 17**

Hayes flexed his left arm and bent his wrist downward. The action brought temporary relief to the stressed limb. His last, 'questioning', had taken a toll and almost resulted in the appendage breaking entirely.

"What are they up to?" he muttered. The man had been bathed, fed, and groomed. It didn't make sense. Just days ago he'd been caged and almost starved to death.

He rubbed his cheek with the opposite hand. It felt odd. Until today he hadn't shaved in weeks. He scratched at his bald head too. It was all part of making him presentable, he assumed.

He sat, guarded, in a large room. It reminded him a lot of home. The style and architecture carried a familiar style. It also reminded him that he had no idea where he was; another trip to an odd-ball version of his Earth, perhaps. From the questions he'd been asked and the fact that talking apes were present he knew his plan to get back to his time had failed miserably. And oddly enough here, the two species seemed to coexist peacefully.

"What happened?" he contemplated. "My calculations were so precise …One minute I'm heading home and the next…" He'd incorrectly concluded that he must have been shot down before reaching the barrier.

What happened indeed! The Oberon-3 shuttle reached the barrier. Its advanced fail-safe was decades beyond anything the _Dreadnaught_ possessed. The ship's defensive systems shielded against the initial pressure and unstable particle bombardment. However, the level of resistance could not sustain itself and began to compromise. Gases, fuel, and vapor emitted as microscopic fractures in the ship's plating occurred. An instantaneous wave of the electrons hyper accelerated, exponentially. At the atomic level several atoms split causing a nuclear cascading reaction. The barrier's intense gravity was magnified at its core. Nuclear explosions went off one after the other and were compressed into center of the anomaly and converted into energy. The once stable barrier vibrated to and fro like a rubber band being strummed and released. Oberon-3 was sucked in and snapped back out in a millisecond. Inside, a spacial rift erupted followed by a blinding white light and a subatomic expansion of mixed radiation. Tachyon particles pierced through the array. Conflation occurred and small parts of two distinct universes overlapped. The two realities fused together. The event happened so quickly, Hayes never realized any of it ever took place. All he knew was that they lifted off, broke orbit, and something struck them, disabling their systems.

Two gorillas entered the room. They were shackled just as he was and directed to sit to his left. Moments later March was escorted in. Pain shot though the shoulder of the Air Force Captain as the guard yanked him back to his chair. He'd involuntarily jerked up when he'd noticed his friend. Shortly after that a human officer walked in accompanied by a gorilla. They wore the crest of the Imperiam Intelligence. The stomach of everyone at the table dropped as they expected mistreatment to begin once more.

The gorilla tapped his electronic pad "Sound off when I call your name." It was odd Hayes thought. Something was different. The ape went through the list, called off all of the names, and then introduced himself and the officer next to him.

Maybe it was the fact that he was no longer feeling the stabs of hunger or maybe it was because he'd was clean and comfortable, but against his better instincts, March spoke up. These people were harsh and brutal. He'd learned early that playing the smartass only brought pain.

He carefully composed his thoughts and asked his question. "Colonel, with all due respect, what in the hell is going on here? No interrogator has ever introduced himself. And what's with the five-star treatment? An hour ago I was sitting in my own filth, eating that slop you call food. Now I'm here, all cleaned up like I'm going to church, and playing guest of honor. What gives?"

The ape paused and stared at the man. For a split second March wished he'd stayed quiet. The Colonel leaned to the other and whispered a question. The man paused again and nodded to the gorilla before turning back to March.

"You've been cleared Major. Your story checks out. As does yours," he stated pointing at the two shackled simians next to Hayes.

Hayes, who possessed a much thicker skull than March, wasn't as careful with his vocabulary. His nearly broken arm was proof of that fact. He scoffing stated, "Cleared? Our story 'checks out'? …Oh so you just zipped over to USAF Command and verified everything with General Tykes, huh?"

"If you'd like, I can have your scrawny hide tossed back into that box we pulled you from." The ape holding the clipboard barked. He paused for a reply that never came… "No? …. I didn't think you'd like that idea, so listen up. Here's how it's going to work. You're being released. You'll remain under a casual house arrest. You'll be provided shelter and assigned work. Do a good job, you'll be compensated …left alone. You're free to move about the Monarch, but stay clear of all restricted areas. Other than that you may interact as you please. However, if ANY of you so much as sneeze the wrong way, you'll wish you were back in those cells eating that slop and sleeping on those cold steel floors. Major Dentre and Lieutenant Russ will be in shortly with more specific information and instructions. It's rare that we release anyone, alive, anyway. So thank whatever god you worship and don't get any stupid ideas."

"I have a family… Children." one of the ape prisoners stated. "I can't just …"

"That's of no significance. You're all property of the Empire now." The man replied ending the conversation before it even started.

The gorilla concluded by unshackling all four of the former prisoners. Major Dentre entered and instructed the two apes to follow him. Lieutenant Russ followed and pointed at March and Hayes, He curtly said. "You two … come with me."

As the two men were escorted out Hayes whispered, "It's good to see you, alive, Tom. I was told you were dead. What's your take on all of this? It doesn't make any sense?"

"Good to see you too" March whispered back. "I don't know Jonny. It doesn't add up for me either but for now we have no choice but to do as we're told".

**- Minutes later -**

"Sit down there" Russ ordered. The space looked similar to a conference room. There were several people seated at a table. All of which were human. That had been intentional. They thought it would make the men more at ease and in a small way, it did. The astronauts took a seat as instructed.

"Thank you Lieutenant. That's all." The senior officer at the table stated. "You may resume your duties."

He then picked up an electronic tablet and began to read. "On Tuesday, April 29th, 1980, old calendar dating, a spacecraft of unknown origin landed in the northern Atlantic ocean off the coast of what was once the United States. Aboard were three highly intelligent simians, suspected of being an advanced scouting party. Their mission was to recon and gather intelligence. Their ultimate purpose: to conquer and colonize the planet. In response to this threat, the United States developed and built the USS Dreadnaught. The craft contained a state-of-the-art combat intelligence system, high-tech refractive shielding, and a contemporary compliment of tactical armaments. The ship and its crew were to travel to the ape planet, gather intelligence and return home. It launched on; Friday, September 20, 1985, old calendar dating. In command; Lt Colonel Mark Johnson. His first officer was Major Thomas J. March. A seasoned weapons specialist and top five MIT graduate, Captain Jonathan Hayes, was the third member of the expedition. Communications with the vessel were lost approximately one hour after launch. The ship and crew never returned home. They were presumed destroyed or lost."

March began to speak. "You have me at a disadvantage. Where did you get information that detailed and how did you …"

"Know?" the man said, finishing the sentence. "Because you happen to be a footnote in our history, Major. Our military achieves go back hundreds of years. Your fingerprints, holoimages, _photographs_ in your terms, are stored on e-file. But more importantly, because it marks the beginning of genetic enhancements. If it weren't for that, you might have never been mentioned at all."

He tapped a button and their old worn images appeared on the imager. It was them, their ship, their world.

"I don't …get this." Hayes stated. "You're saying we made it home? We got the address right but ended up on the wrong street?"

"We're all on the wrong street" a technician at the table interjected. "Sir if I may." The man requested. The commander nodded and the scientist continued. "Almost twenty years ago, via an unexplained event, a major portion of our world was wiped clear off the planet. At least that's what we believed, until shortly after your ship crashed."

"You mean; was shot out of the sky" Hayes snapped back.

"Believe me Captain; your ship was on a crash course before we ever fired a single shot." The man said casually. "Once we analyzed the ship's automated flight and sensor recordings we learned a great deal. Our world didn't disappear from us gentlemen, we vanished from it. We are still studying 'the why', but your trip into whatever that was up there seems to have caused all of this."

"How could we have?" Hayes stated firmly. "I barely broke orbit before your ADA engaged our craft. I never reached the barrier. Besides, according to you, you've been here twenty years. I don't have a watch, but I do know that we just popped-in."

The technician didn't reply. Instead he handed Hayes an electronic tablet with several data dumps, calculations, formulas, etc. The man scrolled up and down as his brain processed what his eyes witnessed. He asked the occasional question and added the sporadic statement.

After close to ten minutes Hayes handed the pad back. The man had a puzzled look on his face. "Somehow as we were crossing back, something caused a … a rip. Parts of your dimension spilled, so to speak, into this one and the two merged together." He concluded.

"That's the theory Captain. But it seems pretty solid" The technician replied. "Best as we can tell anyway. There are parts of the Empire that were fused to rock and debris when the event occurred. Other parts were simply gone. There are pieces of this mystery that defy the laws of physics and as you noted, several elements cataloged in the ship's scan aren't even listed on the periodic table. This will never be fully explained"

"So fill me in," March interrupted. "What the hell happened? There was no Empire on the western portion of North America. Animals where we come from don't talk. 'When' exactly did arrive …relatively speaking"

"You're approximately four hundred and ten years in your future, Major. …relatively speaking. However, neither of you left wherever it was you were trying to escape from and neither of you made it back to the wherever it was you were heading" The man stated. "We arrived twenty years ago, but to you two, everything took place in a matter of minutes. Seventeen minutes and twelve seconds to be precise. At least that's what the flight chronometer logged".

"Are you Soviet or some kind of a communistic spin-off?" March asked in bewilderment. "I mean were we…"

"Ok," a brisk, stern voice bellowed. "I have business here. However, if you want a history lesson, I'll oblige. But as soon as I'm done we're going to discuss the real reason I brought you here. I meet with the Cabinet tomorrow morning and plan to attend with answers. Major Quint, you're a historian, fill them in …quickly"

"Yes Sir" Quint replied. He turned to the two men and went on. "America went the way of every other nation. Slowly, through war, civil unrest, genetic experimentation, complacency, the world fell into chaos. Freedom eroded in the name of safety and security. And rightly so; only a strong central Government can control the untamed masses. America, Canada, the Chinese, Soviets, Germans …the French …all of them eventually toppled. After a bloody world war and then another after that, your country finally died. As did every other you're familiar with. Hell, there wasn't much left of anyone or anything by then. Believe me; you wouldn't have even recognized it if that ship of yours had dropped right in the middle of it. It took a century or two but a remnant of civilization survived and slowly bounced back. Both man and ape were forced to put their differences aside. A fragile democracy was initially formed but the Monarch had the might and the power to command. After one final conflict, you can guess who won out. You can read about it more in detail in the archives."

"So what is it you want from us; a way to get ….home?" Hayes asked.

"No, Captain, no." The elderly soldier said with a laugh. "Doctor Aptos here has already confirmed that going back is impossible. That thing out there collapsed in on itself. We're stuck here now. What I do want to know is; have you ever heard of something called; The ODN?"

An electronic board, similar to the other, was placed in front of Hayes. 

"Well Captain?" The man asked.

**Argos – Sigma-Twelve**

It had been very easy for Major Polk to orchestrate. With the help of General Grazot and the captured spy he'd managed to confirm that a new, lethal threat had surfaced. The full scale show of aggression against Sigma-Twelve and the attempted sabotage of the ODN mainframe in New Washington reinforced his arguments further. Even Polk, who wanted to see the humans pay for what they'd done to Ceasera, understood this threat. But now was not the time for the revenge he'd been planning for over eight months. "Perspective" he kept repeating in his mind. This Imperiam Monarch was like nothing he'd seen. They didn't simply hold a few piecemealed relics. They had military units entwined with them. Their basic equipment, their gear …all of it was …highly advanced. Even the combined might of the three nations was pathetic compared to their level of mechanical expertise. Only the ODN held them back and that was as long as it was available.

This enemy was smart. They were patient. More seriously, they were not afraid to kill their own to gain intelligence. The Sigma-Twelve attack was simply a probing assault to assess the response and level of destruction the defense net possessed. It was a win-win for them. They gained first hand knowledge of its capabilities and every missile it fired drained its tactical supremacy …literally. Not only that, but the probe allowed them to observe tactics, leadership and military tactics.

It all kept spinning back to the ODN. It was the only thing stopping a full fledge assault. The humans were desperately working on a way to re-supply the orbital platforms. However, according to the moles Polk had inserted in the new trading-posts, that was just, pie in the sky, at the moment. It would be decades before they developed anything that would give them the capability to reach orbit and manipulate those platforms.

General Grazot was glad to be home but the ape felt like a fly caught in a web. Almost every one his country-apes looked at him as a traitor and held him solely responsible for the nations decline. More than once he'd been addressed as; "The traitor, Grazot". Sullen had done all he could to spin his lies but the death and destruction Grazot indirectly caused, by allying with the human fugitives, was all too fresh in everyone's mind. And having a nest of talking, reasoning, armed humans around didn't boost morale much either. They'd been indoctrinated for decades with falsehoods about these savage animals. Now they were being fed a new set of stories as the savages were welcomed as equals. Stories that contradicted two centuries of deliberate deception. Grazot began thinking more and more that his assignment to the south wasn't really that bad, after all.

The conglomeration present was certainly a motley crew. A fragile alliance to say the least. All sides were dealing with varying degrees of bitterness, hatred and fear. Both Major Polk and General St James were oddly in agreement as they gazed at what they could only regard as a briefing room. "How primitive" they both silently concluded, looking around the structure. And it wasn't just the architecture either; the thick leather and burlap uniforms of the apes, the muskets most of them carried, their horses, wooden wagons, all of it seemed prehistoric.

Of course they'd been equally amazed at the vast change in climate and environmental conditions. On more than one occasion, it rained like heaven itself had split open. There were thick grassy fields and huge trees; green plush trees. Not the dried out husks they were used to. And strangely enough, ponds and lakes were common place. This prehistoric land was a paradise compared to home or anywhere else for that matter. St James struggled with guilty feelings of wanting to roll in and take it all.

One basic principle kept the whole thing together. And that was; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Most of Sigma-twelve lie in ruin and Sullen was more than scared. It was under reconstruction but parts were being completely rebuilt. On the outskirts of the military post huge craters, mounds of scorched dirt, and the remnants of melted bodies and debris sat scattered everywhere.

Colonel Plateaus, the post commander stood. He welcomed the vast hodgepodge of the diverse alliance. He made an attempt at dumb joke to set the stage and lighten the obvious tense mood. There was some superficial laughter from his subordinated but most of the audience rolled their eyes.

"Who is this moron? And get a load that costume he calls a uniform. Are they an army or the entertainment?" one of the human soldiers half-whispered to a peer. That wisecrack got twice the laugh Plateaus' remarks received.

That was all it took. St James didn't have much of a sense of humor and he wasn't as blind to the jittery reaction his combatants caused. A majority of Sullen's apes were terrified of him. Other's looked at them all like they were the spawns of Satan. A comment like that could bring down this whole alliance …and right on his head. The seasoned veteran shot to his feet and shouted "At Ease." Every ape and human soldier in the room sobered up instantly, as his voice echoed through the chamber.

"We're all guests here. This isn't R&R at some brothel" St James went on to say. He called the soldier out, made the man stand and instructed him to formally apologize.

"Uh, I'm uh sorry." The soldier stated inelegantly. His pale white flesh was now a flush reddish-pink from the embarrassment.

"SIR!" The human General blurted out "I'm sorry, SIR. He's a Colonel. You'll show him the same military courtesy as you'd show any superior. Now sit down …moron."

"Listen to me. You're the best of the best. Or you're supposed to be anyway." St. James added. "There's a real danger out there and they're coming for us; all of us. Now I plan for us to work together so that I can personally put a boot up the keister of as many of those fools from that want to be empire as possible…". St. James went on for another twenty five minutes with his lecture. When he was done, even Polk found himself thinking they might have a chance.

They were a mix of special units. They'd forged northwest with the few mechanized vehicles the humans had built. Their objective was to link up and collect machinery. Special relics Sullen had uncovered during his recent excavations into the banned territories. In reality, these were not recently discovered relics. They were remnants his forefathers had hidden for just such an occasion.

It had been planned back in New Washington. A company sized unit of the combined forces was to link up at Sigma-Twelve. They'd meet up, collect the equipment and get further instructions at that point. No one, either ape or human, could be trusted. The Imperiam could still have spies in their ranks and most likely did.

**** 12 Hours later**

"We're loaded and ready to go, Sir" Captain Berger said as he saluted St. James.

The General shook his hand wished him luck, and casually pulled the man aside. He made some comment about wanting to 'go over the details one last time'. The two walked down a long hall and rounded a corner as Berger was going over the final steps of his mission.

"Forget that crap." St, James said interrupting Berger in mid sentence. His worn old face bore the look of man who just realized he'd stepped on a mine. "I want you watch your back out there. Don't forget who these simians are. A year ago we were at each other's throats. We've killed their wives, children, family and toppled their capital. You don't just forget that over night." Berger began to respond but St. James waved him off.

"Let me finish Captain." He tightly stated. "They've killed our family and burned our cities as well. Both sides are on edge. If you see any signs of a double-cross, you kill as many of those four footed bastards as you can. You then salvage any relics available and contact me via the wireless communications equipment. It's a long way home but we're still in control of the ODN and I'll use on whoever tries to _screw_ with us." Except 'screw' wasn't the word he used.

The mission was simple, even if accomplishing it was going to be difficult. The combined forces were to travel through the banned territories to the ancient human city of Chicago. It housed an underground global sensor array. In theory, it could link into any communications satellite still in orbit. The group was to find the array and use it to pinpoint the location of the Imperiam Monarch. Once identified, the information would be sent to New Washington and the ODN would do the rest. With any luck this Monarchy would be dust and molten rock by the end of the month.


	40. Chapter 40: Duck and Cover

**Imperiam – Civil Research building**

The two apes darted down the corridor as quickly as their paws would take them. The lead gorilla had the body of a dead human slung over his shoulder. They hadn't meant to kill her, but these creatures were so weak and fragile it simply happened. She struggled, ran, and then…

The brute carrying the dead female felt no remorse. There was little nobility in attacking a helpless woman, but since the gorilla didn't see her as one, the point was moot. To him she was a just a vicious beast who if left to her own devices would have eventually killed him. He'd been programmed to believe it all his life. This city, with its violent, sadistic, talking mutants only reinforced the ape's perceptions. To him, his cultural views had been correct all along. Humans were nothing but locust, devouring everything in their path and leaving nothing in their wake.

After the two men fell from the clouds, several Special Groups were dispatched into the Banned Territories. The Group Sergeant's unit deployed to the southwest. "Find their nest and report back", he'd been ordered. And find it they had. Everyone in the unit was long dead except for him and his colleague. They'd played the simple brainless soldier just as they'd been taught; even through the starvation and torture. But these over confident Monarch fools had cut them loose and built them back up. And now the two gorillas had only one thing on their minds, completing the mission.

"…property of the Empire…" he huffed, recalling the words of his former jailors. "We'll see who's pulling the strings soon enough".

They'd rested, blended in, cooperated, gathered intel, and waited for the means and opportunity of escape. The dead female provided both. There was no stopping now, he considered, looking down at her dead carcass. They had no choice but get what they were after and head for Argos. Neither of them was willing to risk capture a second time. They would complete the mission or die in the process. And if they were to die, they were taking as many of these Imperiam bastards with them, as they could.

They reached their objective and placed the woman's palm on a flat pad imbedded panel in the wall. A rapid three second _beep-beep-beep_ sounded and the nearby door unlatched. The simians slipped inside. One stashed the body while the other opened a sliding plate on the wall and pulled a small square object out of a circuit panel. Next, he turned his head, hunting for something particular. He snapped a finger once he recognized it.

"Over there Jor" the ape said pointing at an electronic interface. "That's the one she used. Do you think you can remember how to work it?"

"Yeah, I've seen her do it a dozen … hey; I hear footsteps, get down." The simian declared.

Group Sergeants Aaron and Joriah paused and took cover as a security officer opened the door. He moved his handheld bio-sensor back and forth. The light waves on its face remained green. The man took in a deep breath, let out a yawn, closed the door, and went on with his humdrum routine.

Aaron smiled at Joriah as he held up the computer chip to the room's internal bio-heat detector. Without it the handheld scanning device had nothing to communicate with.

"…Candy from a baby, my friend!" he said with a smug grin. "This place is one giant nest of magic and they still can't touch us"

"Well, we're not out of it yet, so try and keep that in mind." Joriah replied.

The ape mumbled a few of the sequences to himself as he pushed several buttons on the display. He'd observed the female doing the same for weeks. Aaron and Joriah were assigned to the lab; mostly as slaves but it had given them plenty of time to learn the basic operations and become familiar with the layout. He handed Aaron a digital pad and added, "When I tell you to, I want you to read off those numbers."

Aaron nodded his head as he gazed down at the device. "How do you think they learned to create such sophistication? I used to think those human stories my grandmother told me were just fairytales. The Prefect and Magistrate have been telling us for years that humans went extinct long ago. And we were even told that any humans that might be out there now were incapable of speech or reason"

"Yeah," Joriah answered "I've thought the same thing myself. What's even stranger is the equality these men share with their simian counterparts. Obviously some of what we've been told was watered down or lost over the years. I saw these animals in the Kawaka zoo. They're stupid, brainless creatures. All they did was sit there with a blank look on those ugly furless faces of theirs. I find it difficult to believe that they could construct machines like these".

"His cunning is like the wolf, his wisdom like a fox and he strikes like cobra" Aaron rattled off.

"The second scroll? I didn't know you were a religious ape, my friend" Joriah replied.

"Seven years of divine guidance schooling in my youth, thank you very much" the ape answered adding a jovial bow.

Seconds later Joriah asked for the information. He plugged it in, but stopped right before execution.

"Alright, let's get changed." He said, pulling two sets of clothing out of a sack and tossing one to Aaron.

"How come you out rank me?" Aaron joked as he latched the buttons on his vest.

As they donned the garments, Joriah explained their last directives. "Ok, just like we rehearsed; once I initiate the code into this machine, the iron door over there will open." The door wasn't iron but it was the closest thing that his mind was able to comprehend. "We'll only have about 45 seconds before every alarm in the city goes off. Then all hell will break loose. We take only the weapons and survival equipment we discussed, nothing more. Then we move north. It's the most direct route out of the city but it's also the most populated. In these clothes, we should mix right in with their defense forces. We keep our interactions minimal. Just follow me and with any luck we'll be in the Banned Territories in no time and headed back for Argos."

Aaron acknowledged with a grunt and turned towards the large vault door. Josiah took a deep breath and said "Ok, here we go." He pushed the button and the door slid open.

"Let's do this." Josiah said. "Grab the armaments and that bag there; and the other one over there. I'll get the rest. Let's …ut-oh, we've been compromised, look"

The sentry patrolling the halls garbed at his com-mic "To any and all units, 55 Bravo. I say again, 55 Bravo."

BAM BAM BAM – The high-powered tactical rifle shattered the glass and blew a hole the size of bowling ball in the security officer's chest. "So much for blending in" Aaron shouted.

**OOO**

Captain Hayes read through the database files. He was supposed to be working on methodologies that would neutralize or link into the ODN, but he spent most of his time in their historical database. There were references to America but they were scattered and there were large gaps. Most of the remarks were two hundred years beyond his existence and simply facts mixed together with other chronological global particulars. Nearly every mention of his so-called future made little sense.

On the flip side, there was plenty of propaganda on the Imperiam. One thing that intrigued him was the spelling. Imperium was a Latin word, spelled with a 'u', not an 'a'. Evidently their beloved founder was an anarchist. He'd purposely changed the spelling once his power had been fully established. Hayes huffed with cynicism over the hypocrisy. Anarchy was the complete abolishment of government and law. This thin-horn leader had achieved his ideals by setting himself up as the law. Anarchy had arrived, but for him only. Everyone else lived under a different set of rules; his rules.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," he mumbled. The man had a hard time seeing a difference between this dictatorship and any other.

Hayes wasn't particularly interested in history as he was in obtaining facts. Somehow his future had blended with this one. Where it ended and the other began eluded the man. His real point to this historical nature walk was determining if this Empire was the sole authority in North America or if there were other nations on the continent. His inquires into just how much of their reality had transposed into his only met with static and unabated resistance. All they wanted from him was information on the ODN. Anything else was irrelevant and unimportant. The historian who'd debriefed them mentioned a war with a democracy. If that democracy, or part of it, was here they might have a glimmer hope.

Hayes had also managed to hack into some of the recent logs. His security clearance was a double edged sword. He had to have enough authority and freedom to get to the necessary data but it also allowed admittance to all files within the clearance guidelines. He'd been warned to stay out but the man was intelligent and bucking their tracking safeguards was childs-play.

The entries mentioned no other inhabitants, nations, or kingdoms. They did shed a lot of light on the events surrounding the Empire's appearance though. As he'd been told they arrived approximately twenty years ago. Their capital, along with several cities had been pulled in when the event took place. They'd spent the first few years quelling a civil rebellion and trying to determine just what had happened. Once the revolt was squashed and they'd determined the extent of damage, they began to rebuild. Survival became their main objective.

Their entire regime; including the Emperor, cabinet and a majority of the military leadership survived the occurrence. It was the one thing that ultimately held the nation together. They also had factories, military equipment, power-cells, and moderate supplies. But these resources were dwindling. To compensate, the 'non-essential' citizenry were either exterminated or sent out on suicide excavations.

The present military forces were limited to mechanized infantry and combat service support. There were no aircraft or seafaring vessels. The few that slipped through were destroyed during the civil war. The Emperor wasn't about to let the rebels obtain air superiority. And they were miles from the coast, so all of the remaining battle cruisers were stripped down.

They'd assumed they were alone on the planet until automated transmissions coming from the east were intercepted. The Human Coalition was broadcasting a nonstop 'friendship' message on multiple frequencies. That seemed to give the nation a renewed purpose. The Monarch had one philosophy; kill and conquer. They'd found an enemy and with it they'd discovered others. That had unified them in both goal and purpose.

The man was pulled back from his nostalgia by a loud voice. "Hey, are you going to acknowledge me at all?" March said with a smile. "I've been sitting here for over two minutes"

"Huh? Oh sorry, Tom, hi. I was so enthralled in this I guess I blocked everything else out. Know your enemy like yourself, Sir. Isn't that what they drilled into our heads for three years?" Hayes replied half jokingly.

"It is, but keep your voice down" March added, tilting his head in the direction of the security forces in the room. "We don't need to set off the radar of the local KGB. That clown, there, has been looking at us ever since I arrived"

Hayes lowered his head and began to whisper. "Look at these log files, Tom. These people are organized and brutal. Killing is just as routine to them as breathing. And not only that; they're obviously highly advanced; their technology, knowledge of medicine, science, physics …it's astonishing. Do you know they can clone organs? It's incredible. The apes and humans back in DC are no match for this Empire. They've sent spies to the north and to the east. According to this entry they've also deployed mech units. They obviously know of the ODN and they stripped that pod we crashed in down to the wires. They pulled more data off that thing in a week, than I did messing with it for two months. I'm telling you, Tom, with or without my help they'll gain access to the ODN. And when they do it's just a matter of time before they deploy."

"Well, we're still thousands of miles from Washington. Even if they do attack, it will take months before they can…"

"No Sir, I know where you're headed and you're not hearing me. If …no, _when_ … they access that ODN, they'll launch it. Distance won't matter." Hayes exclaimed.

"There's more too." He added "These lunatics have already sacrificed a company sized unit. They hit one of the old Canadian border installations General Grazot smuggled us through. I saw the statistics on the ODN response. Karen White must have successfully initialized the mainframe. Somehow the ODN repelled their assault, but that was the whole intent. They wanted St James to use it …on their own people… and they knew just where and when to hit them. These zealots are just like the Japanese were during World War II. They don't surrender, they don't compromise and every one of them is happy to die for the glory of the Empire"

"Let me see that thing for a minute." March said reaching for the piece of equipment. He browsed a few of the log files and then casually handed the pad back to Hayes.

"It's true that they're a bunch fanatics Tom; highly advanced fanatics. But they're also arrogant and narrow visioned" Hayes explained further.

"Meaning?" March asked.

"Meaning they can be sloppy and lax at times. Who here can come close to messing with them? But I used that to my advantage. I created a virus. It's dormant but once active it will randomly scramble and encrypt all of the security and access codes. It's also designed to arbitrarily enable and disable their unsecured systems. Lights, security cameras, automatic doors, pluming; It will all erratically switch on and off. It will shut them down for at least a month. I haven't initiated it because …well… you're still in command …Sir. The question is; what's our plan if I do flip it on?"

March gave a half smirk. "In command huh? Our own two man militia. Jonny if we do this we're signing our own death certificates …or worse, they'll keep us alive and we'll wish we were dead."

Hayes began to respond but never finished his thought; "We're dead regardless Tom. Once I give them what they need or once they get without my help, they'll take us both out…"

All activity in the room suddenly came to a halt. Alarms sounded capturing everyone's attention. The Security men herded the people in the room to one side. Steel sheets slid together, sealing off the windows and doors.

"To any and all units, 55 Bravo" crackled through the man's com-link. "I say again, 55 Bravo."

"55 Bravo?" another security official repeated with confusion. "… That's hostiles in the building?" He instantly sobered up and acknowledged the transmission. There was no reply, only static. They both quickly un-holstered their weapons. The man pressed the button and the small lights on the hand-guard lit up green.

"Everyone stay put." The man ordered. He motioned for his partner. They punched in a code and exited the room. Once they were out, the room's doors sealed for a second time.

Faint shouts mixed with the thud of boots striking the floor echoed dimly through the area. Minutes later the reverberation of gunfire filled the air. Explosions and screams followed. They were increasing in sound and growing closer.

"I don't like this. Not one bit. …that table, Jonny… Give me a hand" March said, looking down at the steel bench.

No one else in the room displayed the slightest bit of initiative.

March grunted as he picked up his end of the large table. His thigh ached where he'd been shot back in New Washington. The object suddenly became lighter as an orangutan jumped in to help. He mentioned something about wanting to see is family again, rather than dying in this coffin. "The name's Arupe" he said with a nod.

They we're just about to ram the door when the ape stopped. It was as if he recognized something familiar.

"That hum …" Arupe exclaimed. The ape didn't finish the sentence instead he shouted "Get down". The explosion that followed threw the three of them across the room and instantaneously killed everyone else in the area. Smoke and fragments were everywhere. Fortunately for occupants the flat of the table had protected them from harm.

However, the explosion was the least of their worries. Group Sergeants Aaron and Joriah spilled into the room followed by a scattered array of small arms fire.

"That wall there." Joriah said pointing at the far end of the room. "There's a maintenance closet after that and an open area beyond it. We follow that and it will empty outside. Get us through that wall. I'll try and buy us some time."

"I'll do what I can" Aaron replied. "But we're making enough racket to wake everyone, from here, to Argos."

"What's going on, Lieutenant" Arupe asked in an alarmed voice.

"Shut up and stay out the way" Aaron shot back. He reached in his bag and tossed a small circular device at the wall. The gadget attached itself and began to glow bright red.

"Ten more seconds …five… four …three … two… ok brace yourself." Aaron shouted.

Joriah was crouched at the entrance, or what was left of it. He was fully occupied trying to keep the aggressors at bay. March and Hayes had taken cover. Up until now, neither had a clue as to what was going on. Staying alive was the only objective on their minds. But now, one thing was obvious; these security officers were not Imperiam. Both men picked up on the reference to Argos. The apes were armed, carrying supplies, and on a specific route. It only added up to one thing. They were attempting an escape and had somehow tipped their hand.

The far wall exploded and crumbled into dust. The two gorillas grabbed their gear and headed through it.

There was a slight pause in activity. It seemed peculiar. Something in March's seasoned mind sensed danger. That instinct saved his life. "Quick, Jonny…Down!" He shouted.

The man grabbed his friend and took refuge once again behind the large table. Seconds later the pursuing forces flooded into the room and fired in every direction. They cut the startled orangutan into pieces so small, little was left of him.

March threw up both hands and pointed towards the far wall as one of the defense personnel nervously swung his weapon in the man's direction. The man paused for a second and then followed the rest of the soldiers through the opening. March sighed in relief.

A series of gunfire and explosions followed. The lights and automated systems in the building went offline. Dull red emergency lights flickered, in their place, offering a slight illumination. They could now see directly to the building's exterior. Outside the flickering of muzzle flashes and small fires were visible. Portions of what was left of the area crumbled and gave way. People everywhere within the complex swarmed out. They darted off in all directions, shouting back and forth about what to salvage and what to abandon. Some of the wounded were crying for help and others were frazzled and wandering about. It was so chaotic that the two men were forced out of the room. They were left with no choice except to move forward with the crowd. Within seconds they were outside and completely exposed.

Rescue crews and military forces were attempting to organize the chaos, but the populace in the region out numbered them over seventy to one. It was strange; other areas of the city appeared to be in chaos, as well. March wondered if a mass riot or escape had taken place.

They impulsively moved north, away from the chaos. Half terrified apes and humans were running, crying, wandering, and looking for any option of assistance available. The security forces frantically shoved people aside in an attempt to follow the two simians, but it was too late. The apes were well ahead of the disarray.

Off in the distance the soldier coordinating the riot patrols mulled over his options. "I ought to just fire into that crowd and squelch this thing once and for all"

"Sir," the sergeant at his side said. "That's Research and Development. They're scientists and engineers. They're the brains of the Kingdom. You kill them and you'll be cutting your own throat."

The young officer paused and took in a deep breath. "Noted", he replied in appreciation. "What about tranquilizing them then? What type of suppressants are we carrying?"

"Fifteen canisters of Boczoline and eighteen of Midluzol" a corporal assigned to the unit shouted.

The officer cleared his throat and said "Ok, we'll use the Boc. It stinks to high heavens but it's more effective on larger crowds. Fire six tins; two there, one there and there, and the last two there"

The Boczoline was fired and sent the already panicked mass into a greater hysteria. Security officials, donned in gasmasks, worked their way through the crowd and began grabbing bodies. Some fell to effects immediately and others scattered; coughing and clawing at the air.

The stench was appalling. March covered his mouth and nose with part of his shirt. Both men were on the outskirts of the crowd. On impulse, the Major began to rub his watering eyes. His lungs burned and he felt overwhelmingly fatigued. Then…

** **Later** **

Jon Hayes bent a knee and slung the limp body of his commanding officer gently to one side. He propped the man against the crates and said. "Tom, Tom, wake up." He briskly slapped the face of his friend attempting to revive him.

The sharp sensation sparked a reaction. March blinked, then coughed, and began mumbling nonsense. As he took in fresh oxygen, his senses slowly returned. "What happened?" he asked.

Hayes explained that they'd been seized by the riot control and moved forward for safety. A chimp grabbed both men and a few massive leaps later planted them about fifteen feet back. Hayes was pulled from the crowd before the gas took complete effect. He was fully conscious when the chimp stacked his body with the rest.

He'd also witnessed the small firefight. Aaron and Joriah were ambushed by flanking forces. Their escape ended abruptly. However, the situation provided a unique opportunity.

"Wha - What kind of …opportunity?" March asked, rubbing his head.

"There aren't enough people to quell the disturbance. Once they killed the two gorillas, everyone headed back towards the mob. They left them laying there; Equipment, weapons, and all." Hayes answered. "We're in one of those restricted buffer areas they mentioned …alone."

"Jonny…" March huffed. "I'm too … Uhh too… Just get to the point."

Hayes wished he had some water or anything that would provide comfort, but he didn't. Instead he simply helped the man up. "Come on Sir, I know a way out of here."

He led the Major to a torn down fence line beyond that was freedom.

"Cripes" March exclaimed looking at what was left of the two apes and the scattered, dead security officials. "They left them sitting here in their own mess."

"They left more than that, Tom." Hayes added. "All of their weapons and supplies are here too; as well as that mechanized dune buggy looking thing, there. You're call, Sir. We can leave or go back and sit things out"

**Old North-Eastern United States – Old Detroit, Michigan / Canadian border**

The mechanized vehicles moved slowly towards the ruins and stopped unexpectedly. General Grazot awkwardly called for Polk over the radio. He was certainly out of his element. The vehicles and equipment were undoubtedly efficient but they also carried a degree of frustration. He'd taken his simple existence for granted. Maneuvering units on horseback using horns, mirrors, colored flags, and couriers was much different than directing elements, blind, from within a tin box. On one hand he resisted the changes but on the other he welcomed power these trinkets from the gods brought. To master it meant ultimate power.

The region was overrun with vegetation and rubble. Grazot peered through his binoculars surveying the territory before him. He then looked at his map. "Useless" he concluded. From what the ape could see this had probably been a small community at one time. The half buried structures supported his presumptions. He brought the goggles down and looked at the large body of water before him. He took in a deep breath as his mind searched for options. "Water" he mumbled. "It figures".

"You, what's your name again?" Grazot asked the human soldier next to him.

"Corporal Price, Sir" the man answered, hiding his frustration. Grazot had asked for his name a dozen times since they'd departed Sigma-Twelve. The leadership of the three allying nations had decided to integrate the sections. Grazot's driver was a soldier from the Human Coalition. He didn't particularly care for apes or fully understand the sudden armistice, but he was young, ambitious, and mechanically gifted. The man could repair and assemble just about anything he got his hands on.

"Yes, Price, right. See if you can raise Major Polk on this contraption. He doesn't seem to be answering." Grazot ordered.

"Sir, if I may. You need to push that button there to establish a link. You have it set to _radio-silence_. We can't send or receive in that mode. Once the switch is flipped, you press this button here to speak and release it to listen". Price explained.

Normally, the gorilla might have felt a little embarrassment but he was too agitated at the moment to feel much of anything else.

"That's fine Corporal. Your knowledge of this equipment is impressive. Just get the ape on the radio, like I asked, please." The General stated firmly.

The man did what he was ordered and seconds later the radio was cackling with traffic and the occasional bit of cross talk. "Why have we stopped? Is something wrong" seemed to be the common theme. Corporal Price cleared the air waves, with unique authority and militaristic tact. Grazot didn't show it but he was mildly impressed. The man had talked his ear off for over a week but when it came to soldiering he was, without a doubt, a natural. Within seconds Polk was on the other end of the mic.

"What's the problem General?" Polk asked.

"Can you get up here? And grab Berger. I want him in on this too" Grazot said.

Polk acknowledged and moments later the two apes and the human Captain were standing before the large ruins. "Do you see the problem now?" Grazot asked.

Polk nodded. The large bridge, connecting the two ancient countries, was only half standing. Under it, the Detroit River stretched for miles.

"Amazing" Polk thought. There was enough water in that one river to irrigate and quench his nation for several lifetimes. "We're going to have to forge south" Polk stated as his thoughts returned to problem at hand.

"Normally, I'd agree." Grazot replied. "But there are no roads. I inspected the route before I called of you on the communications machine. It's all forest, rock and rubble."

"Maybe we could shimmy across in groups and …" Berger started to say.

Polk trumped the suggestion immediately. And Grazot was in complete agreement. "We're not frail, thinly furred creatures like you humans, Captain. We don't swim. We don't float. We don't _shimmy_, as you put it. We sink. Besides, how do you expect to movevehicles and equipment that weigh several tons across a body of water that vast?"

"Then this mission ends here" Berger shot back. "Listen Gentlemen ...umm, sorry, you know what I mean… We're soldiers damn it. We FIND a way to make it work. We build a bridge; find an alternate point to cross. We come up with some idea so that you CAN shimmy, Major! Or we move south and blaze our own trail; make our own road. We double up if necessary. Abandon unnecessary equipment. I don't know, like I said, we discover a way make this work…Or we tuck our tails between our legs and limp back home like wounded animals and wait for this Empire to sweep us aside."

"Point noted, Captain. By the way, we're you an NCO before you became an officer?" Grazot jokingly asked.

"Actually, I was Sir" Berger replied. "I was field commissioned after my Lieutenant was killed in a firefight."

"Ok, first," Grazot stated. "No one said we were throwing in the towel. Second, I don't even want to think of getting wet but Berger you look into a way for us cross …safely and sensible …and with every piece of equipment we have! Major organize two patrols. One is to follow the river north. The other will go south. They're to go five miles and no further"

Both officers replied with; "Yes Sir" and went on their way. But Polk had a difficult time choking out the words. Grazot was a General and it had been decided that the small coalition would function using the current ranks of apes or humans involved. Grazot was the senior officer and thus in command. Polk was essentially acting as his executive officer.

The Major thought of Grazot as more of a cave dwelling savage than a senior officer. His earlier reference to 'the communications machine' was a prime example. So far the Generals orders and tactics had been sound, but if he had to Polk was ready to take full command.

**Imperiam – Buffer Zone Charlie, North of the Civil Research building – Hours later**

"Get these bodies out of here and clean up this mess" General Cade ordered. "Colonel Brewster do you mind telling me what happened here? I gave strict orders that these apes were to intentionally escape, unharmed. If I'd wanted them dead I could have shot them myself. We _chipped_ these two a month ago."

"The riot spilled past the compound, Sir. One of the boarder patrols flanked north when they intercepted the V.V.L. transmissions. They knew nothing of the mission. They saw the two take down the fence and engaged the primates. I arrived long after they'd left. Hell Sir, this was a need to know mission. Even the riot squads were kept in the dark." Brewster replied.

"I intentionally pulled our units out of this area. I left a skeleton force here. I withdrew Scientists, developers, engineers off of very important research and had to round up replacements. Only key scientists working on imperative projects were left. This was planed for months. We destroyed half of the complex, killed countless citizens. …and most importantly we failed. Everyone on that patrol dies tonight, Colonel, or you will by morning." Cade barked out in anger. "You know how failure is rewarded. I ought to just kill you now"

Cade drew a pistol and pointed it at Brewster. The man calmly pleaded raising his hands on impulse. "Sir … Sir, just hear me out. It doesn't have to be reported as a failure."

"You have thirty seconds, Brewster" Cade replied.

"Those tracks … someone took one of the parole vehicles. They headed out into the desert. It was the two displaced humans who crashed in the aircraft. They were both _chipped_ and the vehicle they have is tagged. We'll be able to track it for a good thousand miles before the signal degrades." He paused and took a few breaths of air. "We can simply say that the mission parameters were changed at the last minute."

"I'm supposed to go to Senator Lorus and tell her that I allowed a key analyst to escape; One with first hand knowledge of the enemy's only super weapon, their leadership, and tactics?" The Gorilla stated.

"General I'm a scientist and a doctor. I apologize for the set back but between the two of us, we can…" Brewster stated.

The powerful slug exited the barrel and slammed into the Colonel's body. The sound of the blast echoed through the air. Brewster was thrown back and toppled into a supply wrack of machine parts. Boxes filled with various utensils collapsed and covered the man.

"Apology accepted, Colonel." Cade said in a mocking tone. "I'll clean up this myself".


	41. Chapter 41: The Best Laid Plans of Apes

**Imperiam Monarch Military Command Center – 0725 hrs**

The General poured himself another glass of whisky. He downed the alcohol in one gulp just as he'd regarding his last two fillings. He'd hardly slept over the last few days and the smooth, sleek liquid gave the illusion of renewed life to his worn out body.

"Ahhh, good stuff, maybe just a little more" he stated, looking down at the old bottle. It was a homemade concoction but seemed to do the trick just fine.

Cade had done well covering his tracks. The military piece of the debacle was blamed solely on Colonel Brewster and he was waiting for word on the final part of the plan. Once that task was complete, no fingers would be pointing. The ape had wealth, influence, power, and a clandestine network of connections that stretched to every dark corner of the Kingdom. He hadn't gotten his position by chance and he hadn't maintained his power through some kind of dumb luck. All of his 'critics' had a nasty way of having the rug pulled out from under them and he was constantly in; self-preservation mode. He'd learned that lesson early in his career and it had kept him alive ever since.

The gorilla straightened his uniform and brushed at the sleeves. His guest was due to arrive shortly and the man was always prompt. He opened the curtains and let the rising sun brighten the dark room.

"Let's hope it's good news", he thought gazing through the pane. Otherwise an execution squad would be showing up in the man's place. The anticipated visitor had served Cade's needs in the past and he was the perfect choice for this particular undertaking. As an Intelligence officer the man had a top security clearance. It gave him access to just about anything and everything in the Empire. It was not only his job to poke around, it was also expected.

Cade finally sat at his desk and started to tackle the back log of work. "Computer, list agenda" he said as he scrolled through the schedule. A senior staff meeting, lunch with Senator Lorus; He let out a long deep breath of air through his nostrils, knowing that meal would never take place. He scrolled a bit more …a briefing on troop discipline and morale, a readiness inspection with the 234th Armor Brigade…the list went on and on.

"Cripes! It will take a week and half just to get through the list, let alone attend each of these functions. Computer, play logged messages" he said deciding to ignore the lengthy list of mundane tasks. There were update reports on the riot and the actions taken for reconstruction, a causality list, personal replies, and more. It bored him almost as much as the agenda did. He finally determined to disregard it all and went back to sipping on the intoxicating elixir.

Minutes later Lieutenant Colonel Parks opened the door to his commander's office as he simultaneously knocked. "Sir?" he said. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

General Cade looked up, waved him in, and, as always, he offered the man a drink. And, as always, Parks politely declined. The gorilla smiled and used it as an excuse to top off his already half filled glass once again.

"It isn't even oh-eight hundred and he's already hitting that stuff" Parks thought to himself. He'd smelled the stale stench as soon as he'd entered the area. The man maintained a steady appearance but inside he felt a loathing disdain. That was the one area where he had no respect for the ape.

The whisky helped calm the General's nerves, as he prepared to step into character. Over the years he'd become quite the functional drunk. And it was now time to act. The walls had ears and Cade often used that to his advantage. He took a sip, cleared his throat, and said "Good morning Colonel. What can I do for you today? Has there been a change in the situation to the east?"

"No Sir. I'm not here to report on the eastern kingdoms we've been monitoring. I have some rather tragic news" Parks replied, sounding utterly sincere. "Last night, Senator Lorus committed suicide. Evidently, the news of the escape and destruction of the R and D center was too humiliating."

"She what?" Cade replied sounding just as convincing.

"She's dead, Sir." Parks went on "There was an e-note. She took full accountability for the last minute change to the mission and its disastrous results. Letting the two gorillas die was one thing but allowing the two men from the ship to get killed in the crossfire was inexcusable. Rather than disgrace his Excellency and dishonor her family name, she took her life."

"Surely, the Emperor would have shown her some sort of mercy." Cade stating, knowing that, it was exactly what he would not have done.

The man took a natural pause and added, "The news outlets are reporting she died in her sleep due to heart failure. Her lands and family nobility will remain intact since she did the honorable thing. I'm told that the Cabinet and governmental authorities feel it's the best course to take at this time. This way the Empire won't look weak"

"Of course there will be an investigation, Sir and I've been ordered to head it up." Parks stated. That too had been arranged by Cade, behind the scenes. A bribe here, a promise there and everything was set.

"…Anyone and everyone involved will be held accountable. I can assure you of that." The Lt Colonel falsely promised.

Cade raised a paw, signaling for the man to remain quiet for a moment. He opened his desk drawer and removed the digital pad. He handed it to Parks as he babbled on in an attempt to maintain the charade.

Parks casually babbled back as he silently read the words written on the device's face. "The two escapees are _chipped_. The vehicle they seized has a tracking beacon. Send two RS7s and bring them back; alive and unharmed. Tell them they're retrieving two deserters from last night's riots. And bring them directly to me, once captured."

Parks looked up gave a nod.

The two then finished their empty discussion and Parks went on his way. Cade looked at himself in the window's reflection and raised his glass in his own honor. If the Imperiam ever started given out academy awards, he would certainly be the first actor nominated. This was the beauty in it all. Cade had arranged her death. Parks had carried out the murder and now that same assassin would investigate her so-called suicide. Oh sure, he'd poke about, interrogate a few people and put on a good show, but with no one around to dispute Cade's story the incident would simply fade away.

Cade would then see that Parks got a promotion to full Colonel, replacing the late Hank Brewster. Parks was an Intelligence officer, not part of the Medical or Science corps, but Cade would make an argument that having a quasi-civilian officer in command is what caused the whole mess in the first place. And who would dare argue with the Monarch's Senior General? In reality, who would even care? Someone had to replace the dead Colonel Brewster and why not Parks? It was a true, win-win.

**OOO**

Several miles away, the very much alive, Colonel Brewster wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked at what had once been his home. His wife, his daughters, all of them dead. Imperiam Intelligence took no time at all seizing his lands. They'd stripped his name from nobility and as it was accustomed, they purged the bloodline.

"I'm too late. They're gone" Brewster muttered looking at the scorched house. He'd lay unconscious and buried for almost seven hours. His mind played the 'what-if' game but that didn't matter. It wouldn't bring any of them back.

"Savage vampires …butchering children in cold blood…" he blindly said choking on the words. He, himself had killed hundreds in the name of science and in service to his supreme sovereign, but this seemed different.

Cade had done this, he'd concluded. And he was right. There were logged conversations in his home that could incriminate and contradict the perceptions the General had set into play. The man's rage almost got the better of him as he confronted the realizations that he'd never hold his twin girls again. He swallowed a couple of pills to help with the intense headache pounding in his skull.

Before heading home, Brewster had accessed the lab and shorted out his internal biochip. It was imperative if he was to stay 'dead'. The man knocked on the thin body armor. He knew Cade well and it had saved his life. A few broken ribs were a small price to pay for being alive. But what had it cost him. In mere hours his whole life had been turned inside out.

"Don't push it Henry" the man lectured himself. His anger frustrations began to surface and he pounded his fist against the steering wheel of his transport vehicle.

"You stay focused …for them." He thought.

Deactivating one's chip was not an easy task. In fact it was next to impossible. But since he was the leading scientist, as well as, the chief medial official he had the method, means, and know-how to get around it. Shorting the gadget out was a precise delicate procedure. If not done with unique accuracy the brain could hemorrhage or become severely damage. The patient could die or worse spend the rest of their life as a thoughtless vegetable.

However, if the process was successful, it accompanied a series of sever headaches and required strong bio-mech medication before the body fully adjusted and returned full motor control back to the host. Anxiety released chemicals that were counter productive to the bio-meds, so stress was something he could not afford. However the man wasn't a robot. He couldn't flip off his emotion at will. So along with the meds went some mild tranquilizers.

The one bit of happiness and joy he possessed was now a heap of ashes. Brewster had nothing much to live for and considered putting a bullet in his head, ending it right here. But that would have given Cade exactly what he wanted. Vengeance was the only thing motivating the man.

To Cade, he was nothing; just an insignificant man who crunched numbers, talked nonsense, and oversaw the troop physicals. But Brewster was much, much more. Unlike the General, he'd achieved his position through accomplishment and an unmatched outcome. He wasn't an opportunist like the Gorilla and he hadn't manipulated fate in his favor. Colonel Brewster was the best man for his job. He was beyond brilliant. His scientific know-how and medial capabilities were truly exceptional. Few, in the Empire, if any were his intellectual equal.

"I need to get out of here. I couldn't take seeing their bodies" he said quietly. "I swear you'll pay for this General. I'm going to make you regret the day you were born. …and I know just how to do that."

The Colonel throttled his vehicle into FWD and headed back towards his lab.

**Northeastern Colorado, the following day – Old United States**

The high intensity sonic eruption shook the ground like a tremor. A concoction of mixed dirt, clay, and rock peppered the stolen Imperiam Sand Quad. Hayes cussed as dried, sun beaten, grunge sprayed his body. The vibrations from the small discharge made him feel lightheaded. Seconds later another shot impacted off their starboard. March forced as much muscle out of the vehicle as he could muster but the power reserves were running low. He felt an odd feeling of unsteadiness and blurred vision but he was too close to his destination to give up now. The man weaved the vehicle back and forth but the ATVs following were much more maneuverable. They easily matched any and all attempts to evade.

Fortunately for the escaping astronauts, their pursuers were simply interested in capture. Otherwise, they'd have been long dead. The Quad was no match for the pursuing Rip-Saw-700s. An Imperiam Sand Quad was, in essence, a glorified dune-buggy. Used for short range patrols between the buffer zones and immediate desert. They had little armor, no tactical weaponry, and served only as a means to get a soldier, quickly, from point A to point B.

On the other hand, the RS7, as it was nicknamed, was the Imperiam's latest assault ATV. Each vehicle was equipped with twin 'jackhammer' mini-guns, a compliment of HEAP (High-Explosive Armor-Piercing) self-guiding missiles, EM disruptors, and it possessed short range sonic mortar capabilities. Its ion compressed micro-fission engine required only nanometers of antiprotons to make the trek east. These machines could run for a lifetime and would never use more than twenty five percent of their nuclear fuel.

"Stop your vehicle and surrender and no one will be hurt", the voice broadcasted loudly. "This is your last warning"

"There it is Jonny." March shouted. The ruined city and once capital of the long forgotten State were the only standing ruins the two men had seen since moving east.

"We'll ditch the vehicle, separate, and try and lose them in the cities remains. Hopefully we won't run into anything like we did back in Buffalo" March said.

They reached the edge of what had once been Denver, Colorado but a little too late. The lead RS7 had flanked the Quad and fired a precision shot in to the vehicle's rear axle. A wheel broke loose causing it to whirl out of control. It flipped several times. The two men were jostled around but the safety bars and overall design were built with troop protection in mind. When it all stopped, the vehicle was upright and the men inside were shaky but nothing more.

"Get the hell out there, now!" one of their pursuers stated. He had huge knife and cut the straps that were holding the two securely to their seats. They fell forward with an uncomfortable thud.

"The rest of you secure those bags and prepare to return. The sooner we get out of these inhospitable surroundings the better" the Sergeant stated.

He immediately turned his attention back to the escapees. Without hesitation he barked, "I said get out of there."

This time he didn't wait for the men to comply. He grabbed Hayes by the arm and yanked him free of the wrecked vehicle. Before the man could react, he shoved him to the dirt. "Sit there and don't move", he ordered. To add effect he pointed a pistol at the man.

"And you..." He went on looking at March. "Get a move on it, pops. I'm not getting any younger".

The words, "Hey Sergeant", came crackling through NCOs com-link. "We have a second Quad coming up on our six. He claims he's a Colonel with R and D and he's ordering us to stand down until he arrives. His auth-codes are valid. So what do we do?"

"We stand down, you idiot. What do you think we do?" The Sergeant snapped back. "Secure the prisoners. I'll deal with the brass once he arrives. You two must be pretty important for them to send a full-bird all the way out here".

The Quad didn't reach the group until almost thirty minutes later. In the dry hot conditions of the desert, that seemed like an eternity. The NCO in charge rose to his feet as the vehicle finally came to a halt. He closed his almost empty canteen and placed back in the case.

"It's about damn time." He muttered wiping the seat from his brow. He walked towards the officer, saluted, and asked; "What's this all about, Sir? I was instructed to capture two deserters and return them directly to General Cade. Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Ah, I see, Sergeant. No, I don't mind you asking one bit. This should clear everything up just fine." Brewster stated. He pressed the button on the small electronic apparatus in his hand and watched as everyone, including March and Hayes, convulsed in agony. Each of them grasped at their temples until the pain became so intense they all blacked out.

**Old Northeastern US / Canadian border – Detroit side of the river**

The Imperiam agent longed for home. She'd been on her assignment for almost a year and she was sick of scavenging for food and supplies. Her original orders were to infiltrate the Human Coalition and download all data from their ODN mainframe. She'd had moderate success but was compromised before she could fully complete the download. She'd been forced to pull up stakes and head west. However, her superiors hadn't ordered her home. Instead they'd issued new orders. They moved her back through what was once West Virginia. From there they sent her into the old State of Ohio and then finally up into Michigan.

Her new assignment was to monitor radio traffic and report on all tactical deployments. She was now shadowing the company of troops from Argos. And she'd served her Emperor well. Destroying the bridge had halted these Neanderthals dead in their tracks. They'd spent the last day and a half trying to forge the river. Two of their vehicles had blown a track and a third was stuck in the river bed. It was covered in so much mud they'd been forced to abandon it. Traveling through the brush wasn't an option either. The trees were tall and broad and the rocks and rubble we just as massive and just as bulky. It would have taken a full battalion of their engineers, with a complete compliment of explosives and equipment, a week just to move twenty paces.

Things were going relatively well up until now. Because the vegetation was so thick and because she wanted to verify exactly where they planned to cross, she'd unknowingly exposed herself. The woman moved too close to the rushing Detroit, river and was spotted.

The position was unique to her plan. The enemy was attempting to salvage cabling and materials from what was left of the bridge at their end. She'd also noticed they were using this material to construct a crude makeshift overpass. If she didn't intervene, they might just make it across. It would mean exposing herself but what could they do once she'd completed her task? There was a wall of raging water between her and them.

The woman secured her footing and picked up the equipment she'd dropped. Next she slowly crawled up the massive stone and began talking to herself. "If I can just figure out the exact angle, I can take out what's left of the bridge and destroy those vehicles as well."

She unlatched the LTL (Land To Land) short range rocket and carefully sighted in on her objective. She pressed a button and the auto-locking software began calculating distance and speed. The missile was her only real tactical advantage. She was miles from home and some of the metropolitan remains were inhabited with wild animals and these mutated monstrosities. This was her only defense against a large force and part of her wished there was another alternative.

Soldiering in the field was not her strong point. She was young, shapely, and attractive. Those were her best qualities and she'd used them often in DC. But this wasn't DC. Lugging equipment around that weighed as much as an elephant and planning sabotage missions was not her strong suit. She was well trained and reasonably decent in the field but, in this case, her lack of proficiency was going to cost her, her life.

The echo of the gunshot startled her almost as much as the flock of wild birds that scattered in every direction from the deafening sound. The slug ripped through her side and took out a sizable chunk of flesh. The woman spun around and fell back first to the ground.

Half dazed and half in shock she groped for the LTL. The woman reached towards the small guided projectile and slapped at the launch button. She clumsily pressed it and died. The missile recalculated its guidance protocols and fired.

**Old Northeastern US / Canadian border – Windsor side of the river**

"…I say again, there's movement on the far side of the canal, over" Corporal Price declared, speaking softly into com-link.

Captain Berger was about a klick away when the message from Price came through. The man was searching an old structure he'd found. It was small and other than the one missing wall it was still intact. He didn't know why but the interruption irritated him slightly. "Never a moment's peace" he muttered.

The man dropped the crate he was searching through and asked; "What kind of movement, Price? An animal, human, ape, both. Over"

"Unclear," Price answered. "Without binoculars, it's hard to tell. But there are shadows and someone or something knocked debris down the riverside. Over"

"Alright" Berger replied. "Stay put, I'll be there in a sec, Berger out."

Moments later, the man crawled up to where Price was perched. "What's the situation? Have they seen us?" Berger asked.

"Something's there, Sir and I don't think it's an animal. Sounds like they dropped equipment; Metallic equipment." Price alleged.

Berger looked through the binoculars. Price was right. Someone was there. The shadow was definitely human and he could vaguely see the outline of a rucksack. Just at that moment a face peered from around large rock.

"Well, I'll be damned" the officer declared not really believing his eyes. "I know her." He went on to whisper.

"Know her? …Sir?" The confused Price replied.

"That's not face you'd forget. She was in New Washington. She hacked our mainframe and then drugged me after I caught her in the act." Berger explained. "She got out of New Washington Scott-free, too"

Price began asking more questions but Berger wasn't listening. He'd noticed the relic. "I don't believe it. She's got some kind of RPG and she's going to fire it."

Without hesitation he adjusted the site and got into position. He relaxed and gently squeezed the trigger. The slug raced out of the barrel and ripped into midsection, It sent her, along with blood and tissue into the hard ground.

What he witnessed next was a flash of light and trail of smoke. The small projectile shot into the air and struck the half standing bridge. A series of explosions, accompanied by huge mushroom clouds of fire rose high into the air.

**Kawaka **

What would have been a two week trip by horseback took only half that time in the human's tracked vehicle. Its speed and ability to map a direct route, through the terrain, gave it quite an advantage. They'd stuck to the wilderness as much as possible but several times they'd had to travel directly through some of the small farming settlements. It was bad enough that the metal personnel carrier utterly terrified the on looking ape citizens, but seeing humans pop out of it nearly sent them into hysteria.

Only the military and civilians who worked the Great Fish pond were allowed to carry weapons. Nevertheless, many of the farmers in the remote townships possessed self-made muskets. A Coalition soldier made the mistake of wandering off too far into the woods and discovered that fact the hard way. The half frightened ape missed the man by a mile but from that point on he never left the vehicle again.

Sullen fidgeted over the communications equipment. It was becoming quite a different world for him and his nation. His apes were not used to machines with such complexity. In fact, they weren't used to any machines at all, regardless of the complexity.

What concerned the Lord Prefect most was how the military had reacted to these new 'toys'. He'd reluctantly approved a nation wide initiative to replace every musket with a standard repeater. Many of the gorillas displayed the same insane lust he'd witnessed in General Grazot; especially the elite units who were being equipped with the A1X rifles. The genie was certainly out of the bottle now.

The ape felt forced to grab every bit of the old world technology he could unearth. Though Polk was currently an ally, the past burned brightly in his head. The chimp was responsible for killing an entire Contingent and torturing him, as well. He thought of it every time his knee throbbed.

Sullen wasn't blind to the fact that they coveted his prosperity either. His nation was rich with food, game, fertile land, and plenty of water. Despite the civil disturbance and the loss of his military, his apes out numbered both the human and southern ape population by almost two to one. They'd thrived through the abundance of nature's provisions. His simians were healthier and better-off but when it came to civil defense, they were seriously lacking.

St James was the other side of his proverbial coin. It was ironic how the man was more trustworthy than Polk but in the end he was still a man. Humans were just a blight; a disease with no cure, weren't they? They'd bloodied this planet for centuries. Yet now they were the only salvation his country had. Habits and perceptions were very hard to change. Sullen struggled with his double-minded opinions. The man had saved Sigma Twelve and his engineers were helping to rebuild his nation, but he was always acting in his own self interest. What would happen once his simians reached a militaristic equality that rivaled his? He preached peace and Sullen knew he meant it, but what would they preaching fifty or a hundred years from now? What would the world look like with a secure, advanced, militant human nation on this planet once again?

"I'm sorry Lord Prefect. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong" The troop Sergeant stated.

The Prefect brought his attention back to the present. He waved off the ape's apology with a pat on the shoulder. "Don't fret yourself over it, Troop Sergeant. It's not you. It's working just fine. We've lost contact, that's all."

General Grazot hadn't reported in, in over seventeen hours. Something was wrong. Their whole existence was teetering on his success. Sullen turned the two General's in the room with him. "What do you make of this?" he asked.

Mikos looked at St James who motioned for him to him to respond first.

"Something's wrong, Sir. General Grazot would not simply forget to report in." Mikos declared.

"I have to agree, Prefect" St James added. "Could it be equipment failure? Sure. Why not? The machinery is pieced together and old. But we don't have the luxury to guess here. In fact, we must assume the worst and plan for it accordingly."

"I have to agree with the human, Lord Prefect. His reasoning is sound. Too much is at stake." General Mikos concurred.

"Ok, we meet with The Council at noon." Sullen stated. "General St James, I'd like you to work with Mikos and his staff and help them devise some kind of contingency plan. They're fine tacticians but not as …_familiar_… with these devices as your people are. Maybe between the two of you, you can come up with something practical."


	42. Chapter 42: The Eye of the Storm

**Northeastern Old United States – 0240 hrs**

The jolt of the sudden shift in the terrain sent a sharp twinge into March's temples. He leveled The ATV and eased up on the acceleration. It had been almost two weeks since Brewster removed the implant, but March's head still pounded ever so often. The Colonel had explained that it would take time before the nanites fully repaired the neuropathways. Until then, he'd experience periodic pain and mild dizziness from time to time. He'd spent the last several days sedated; another necessary precaution disclosed by the good doctor. Under normal circumstances March would have been glad just to be up and around, but this was anything other than normal. So much of the man's time involved running, hiding, or fighting that he'd almost forgotten what 'normal' even looked like.

He glanced at the digital display. Just a bit further and he'd be at his destination. His adrenaline levels began rising; pre-execution gitters he surmised. They'd rehearsed the plan several times but until he was actually shooting at something his anxiety would remain high. He squinted and rotated his head hoping to stop the steady aching that seemed to be increasing. He exhaled deeply, longing for a home he knew he'd see again. "What kind of sick society puts electronics in a man's head?" He mumbled.

Brewster had explained that every citizen in the Empire was 'chipped' at birth. Everything about them was placed in the Imperiam Virtual Infobank. The IVI logged anything one did and tracked every person, ape or human, no matter where they went. It had its limitations though. The Imperiam Senate and the military leadership also carried implants. Even the Emperor, himself, possessed one. Because of this, the chips were limited to information gathering and surveillance only. The debate over expanding their use to pacify the population through some sort of brain hemorrhaging or extreme form of pain was never ending. However, as long as Cade and his peers carried the implants that scenario would never come to pass.

Well, it would never come to pass as far as they knew. The Monarch started using the chips over a hundred years ago. Today they were quite different than their original model. The one compromise made long ago was the placement of the implant. Originally, they were put in the hand or paw but too many of the citizenry found ways around that. So the Imperiam medial staff developed a method to connect the chips directly into the brain's neurological functions. People were less likely to stick a knife in their head.

There was one positive side to the implants. They contained a medical history of the host. If a citizen were critically injured and needed specific medications or organ cloning that information was instantly on hand. The Empire was brutal, but those who 'played ball' were generally left alone. That might have meant conscription into military service or servant-hood to a Noble but the alternative was much worse.

Brewster had been the R and D Battalion Commander for over three years. He was also a gifted surgeon. The man was not only familiar with the technical aspects of the implants, but as a physician, he possessed a detailed knowledge of how it affected and interacted with ones anatomy. It was child's play for the Doctor to create a device that could 'pacify' one's behavior. He'd proven that back in the desert ruins after March and Hayes were captured. The man needed to be in close proximity but once that was reached he could cause anything from a mild headache to a full aneurysm.

He was no fool either. He knew the day was coming when the elite and privileged in his society would find a way to enhance these devices and control their population's every move. There were already prototypes in the works; different chips based on certain social standing and public prestige. Long before Cade tried to murder the man, he'd developed a way to successfully remove the chips. And it hadn't been an easy task. It took time and skill to cut into the brain while rerouting motor function and basic corporeal control. Several of his initial subjects died but eventually he'd perfected the procedure through trial and error. The loss of human and simian lives meant little. The ends justified the means as far as the Doctor was concerned.

"Funny" the man pondered. "I wonder how many of his so-called volunteers also had husbands, wives, or children." March saw the double standard before Brewster had finished his first sentence. Yes he was an Imperiam fugitive but he was just as callous as any of the long line of lunatics he'd met from this paradise of an empire. Life meant nothing to those people, unless it was theirs. They all seemed to act in their own interests. His body was still feeing the effects of the beatings and endless interrogations he'd endured at their hands. As soon as they'd verified that Hayes and he were just victims of dumb luck, they'd cut them loose like past few weeks had never happened.

But Brewster had saved March's life and more than that the doctor brought hope. He possessed first hand knowledge of the Imperiam Monarch and his intelligence surpassed that of his friend Hayes. That was no small feat in his eyes either. Until he'd crossed paths with Brewster, Jon Hayes had been the most intellectually gifted man he'd ever met. Having a second body around who was equally as brilliant gave him a renewed sense of optimism. Neither of the astronauts fully trusted Brewster. He had a very unsympathetic, cold-blooded way but March understood him completely. As long as circumstances were acting in Brewster's best interests his actions were 100% predictable. When he spoke of his family's death at the hands of the gorilla General you could see the rage, loss, and hatred. As far as the Colonel was concerned his years of loyalty and service had been rewarded with the murder of his wife and children. Revenge was driving his every move.

Yes, both Brewster and Hayes were Albert Einstein clones but the Air Force Major was not without gifts of his own. The man was a seasoned soldier, a natural leader, and had a knack for sound military tactics. He projected himself charismatically and spoke with a steady confidence. With the combat intelligence provided by Brewster, March saw an opportunity too vital to pass up. The Imperiam was prepping for a major conflict and had deployed several key units across the old continental United States. They were fanning out and preparing for a massive push. Once the ODN was dealt with these elements would spearhead the invasion. They played another key role too and that was logistics. A concrete supply line was forming. If they got everything in place they'd control half of his former homeland; old technology, natural resources…they'd have more than enough for a sustained conflict.

According to Colonel Brewster, approximately two hundred and fifty miles to their east was a company sized Higher Headquarters Section. They were the command and control center for all units involved in the forward thrust. They were the eyes and ears of the Imperiam Military Command back west and the frontline elements in the east. It meant altering their plans to get back to Washington, but if they succeeded it would momentarily cut the head off the snake. They'd be temporarily blind, causing just enough confusion to stop them in their tracks.

**000**

March gazed through the starlight goggles Brewster had given him. They were remarkable and didn't give off the usual greenish haze. There was also no loss in depth perception like the night vision gear he was used to carrying. Things looked no different than twelve noon on a clear day. It worried the man slightly. He wondered if the sentries carried the same type of equipment. Brewster had assured him that only officers and senior NCOs were issued such paraphernalia. If the man was wrong they'd not only lose the element of surprise but possibly their lives.

The Imperiam HHQ element was quiet with little to no activity. A couple of orangutan soldiers looked bored as they paced back and forth, guarding their sacred post in the middle of a wasteland. They shivered as they shook off the cool morning air. One yawned and stretched and warmed themselves against the heat generators to his side. Tents were set up in the standard bivouac style and it all looked quite tranquil. The RS7's engines were in SV mode (*Soft-Voice) and vibrated with a small hum as the Major arrived at the preplanned location.

"This is Bravo-Two, I'm in position. What's your status One and Three, over" March whispered softly into his mic.

"This is Charlie-Three. I'm decorating the cake, over." Hayes relied.

"This is Alpha-One. The candles will be lit in approximately two minutes, uh …over" The man awkwardly added. He'd never seen combat although he'd played a key role in civil war that ensued when the Imperiam initially appeared.

March acknowledged and went over the plan in his head as he waited. Once Brewster, AKA Alpha-One, signaled, Charlie-Three would lock the auto-drive on the Imperiam Sand Quad. It would then speed forward into the center of the unsuspecting Armor Company. Brewster had modified the power systems to overload in ninety seconds. The explosions and chaos would split the armored elements in two. March and the Colonel, who were in the two RS7s, would advance on an angle. They'd fire the EM disruptors followed by a volley of the ATV's HEAP (High-Explosive Armor-Piercing) self-guided missiles and a barrage of fifty caliber shells. If it worked as planned the entire company would be dead and their equipment destroyed before they ever knew what hit them. Of course, things never quite seemed to work as planned.

"This is Alpha-One …in position, over" Brewster signaled a few minutes later.

His reply was immediately followed by; "This is Charlie-Three; happy birthday. I say again, happy birthday, over."

That was the signal. The Quad was ready. Now it was simply a matter of execution.

"Charlie-Three, you're clear to sing. Bravo-Two out" March stated sharply, giving the order to proceed.

Hayes followed the final instructions Brewster had given him and initiated the battery overload. Next he locked the auto-tracking on the vehicle and sent it speeding forward at an incredible rate. The buggy moved rapidly towards its pre-coded destination but lacked the sophisticated SV technology. It was much louder than the RS7s. The Quad's only tactical advantage was its speed. One of the sentries spotted it just before it reached the camp entrance. The ape sounded an alarm and bodies began scrambling. Random shots ripped through the air.

Unfortunately for the Imperiam, those shots were coming in both directions. Hayes hit one of the orangutans in the chest. The first two rounds only made him stammer but the next shot hit his throat and sent the simian gasping to the ground. Hayes took a play from the Human Coalition's playbook. He steadied his aim and sent a round into one of the apes that was scrambling out of a tent. The projectile hit the ape's knee and decapitated the appendage. The simian wailed briefly just before the next round punched into his head. Quite effective, Hayes concluded.

The element of surprise was gone but it was still two am. Most the soldiers were fast asleep. Those who weren't were too confused and groggy as they jumbled about for their equipment. A soldier fired at the Quad as it entered the site. The vehicle was moving fast and buckled right from the force of the incoming rounds. It ripped through a string of tents wounding several of the personnel. It slammed into a crate of supplies and flipped forward several times. _Five – Four – Three – Two – One_ …

KA-BOOOOM

A ball of fire blew high into the air. At the base it reached out in every direction grasping everything in its path. The area lit up like daylight for a split second. Several of the surrounding structures caught fire. A few unfortunate bodies were also caught in the blast. They were engulfed by the inferno instantly. Their ghastly screams of pain echoed through the open area. One of the officers was attempting to direct mechanized units. He cursed as the EM pulse fried every piece of equipment within his grasp. In the distance, an NCO was positioning soldiers on the perimeter's edge. He'd ordered them to fire indiscriminately, in overlapping sectors. Hayes was shooting at the rabble to pull attention away from the two ATVs several meters away.

"Sober up, ladies. We're going to get hit." The NCO shouted. "You, you, you and you, set up there. You five head north and position yourselves on that hill, there." The Sergeant was concurrently screaming for flares or starlight but too much confusion was taking place. The fire was spreading and growing out of control. Several soldiers were attempting to contain the blaze before it engulfed the entire vicinity.

As the five soldiers headed out and disappeared from sight. The NCO turned back to the group at hand and went on. "That vehicle was just a distract…"

It was the last thing he ever said as the guided missile impacted between several tanks. The ensuing detonation blew chunks of shrapnel and hot metal in every direction. Seared flesh mixed with fragments of dirt, wood, and steel littered the area for several yards. Two more HEAP rounds hit. Within second the right flank was neutralized. Molten metal and burned flesh filled the air. The wounded moaned and cried out in agony. The black smoke and thick orange flames made the area look like the lake of fire. The sweet smell of cooking meat mixed with the rancid aroma of scorched fur nearly made March vomit. He mounted the ATV and cautiously moved forward.

On the opposite side of the Headquarters element, the Imperiam soldiers were beginning to organize. The small arms fire from the small HHQ detachment had Hank Brewster pinned down. He was crouched behind a small hill, several feet from the RS7. The man wasn't the veteran March and Hayes were. Everyone was frightened in battle but he'd let that fear get the better of him and thus had gotten sloppy. That apprehension was now compromising the mission. He'd managed to fire his EM disruptors and few stray rounds of bullets but he ran cover when the element started firing back.

Hayes had shifted his position and caught a couple of the soldiers on their flank. He was grateful they were human. The apes didn't fall as easily. Unless you hit a vital organ or sighted in on their knees they could usually tough it out.

Within his tank, Lieutenant Cin was assessing his environment. "What do we have, Godfrey? Come on, soldier, the clock is ticking. They could bring artillery down on us any second"

Sergeant Joseph Godfrey, a seasoned combatant didn't flinch. He punched in the command codes and waited for what seemed like forever for the results. He mumbled a few curse worse as he listened to his Platoon Leader ramble on like he was the Emperor's prize son. As soon as the heat signatures were identified he spoke up. "Got 'em, Sir; three bios."

"Three? Give me starlight. I want see what were dealing with. There has to be more." Cin shot back. He flinched slightly as two more loud explosions erupted. The ground shook and he felt the vibration as debris peppered the outside of his vehicle. He could also hear the faint screams of the dying but that wasn't his concern. Saving his own pelt was the main priority.

"Negative LT. Biodectors are picking up three human signatures. They're spread out approximately eight hundred kilometers from our current position. One, at seven o'clock, another at nine, and a third is at our eleven. The one at eleven o'clock is moving and too fast to be running. My guess is he's in a vehicle. Maybe another Quad"

"Staff Sergeant Faulkner, this Cin." The chimpanzee radioed. "Sync with our bio reading and lock onto the signature of the body at your eleven o'clock, over." Faulkner didn't reply. He was dead. The Lieutenant radioed to the other vehicles in his platoon simultaneously.

…_Static_…

"The rest of the platoon is out of it…Give me flares", Cin barked. Before the crew could react he spun around to Godfrey. "Which one's closest?" he asked. Again, he didn't wait for a reply. Instead he anxiously instructed Godfrey to relay it to the driver and ordered the tank forward.

"Flare away, Lieutenant" a voice replied as the vehicle sped forward. "I have starlight, Sir. No visual on the hostile bio but there are two ATVs out there. They look like one of ours but I'm not picking up any electronic IDs. The Bio is behind a hill about twelve meters away. The other two are out of our line of sight."

"Get the flame throwers ready." Cin ordered. "We're going to deep fry whoever's out there. Let's see how they like a fiery welcome."

Brewster's hands shook as he fumbled for the device that would save his life. He rapidly questioned every decision he'd made over the last two weeks. "I'm an idiot for agreeing to this." He said gritting his teeth bitterly.

He warily pulled back from the hill as the far side burst into flames. The heat was sobering and worried him even more. Bullets ripped into the dirt startling the man as he moved about in a confused manner. He cussed loudly as the object he was searching for flipped free from his shaky grip and fell to the ground. He grasped for the small rectangular device and repeatedly tapped its face. "Come on. Come on" he shouted.

He was also begging for help through the headset. Hayes had moved up and was firing at the tank but it had about as much of an effect as a mosquito trying to get blood from a redwood. March was doing what he could but was separated from the two by a long distance and a wall of flames. He'd managed to navigate the vehicle through enough of the chaos to finish off the scattered remnants of soldiers in the camp but it was all he could do for now.

Inside the mechanized vehicle the bio icon on Godfrey's screen went from red to a blinking green. Brewster's signal had fooled their sensors. The man slapped his superior on the arm and said "Sir, wait, he's a friendly. We have a valid transponder code."

The Lieutenant spun around. He gazed at the screen then looked up at Godfrey in surprise. "What? Who is it? Why didn't he register positive when we first bioed his location?" he asked in rapid sequence.

Sergeant Godfrey read the transponder data and answered the chimpanzee without delay. "He's an officer, Sir. A full bird Colonel assigned to the Science Corps. A Colonel Henry Brewster, Commander, 578th Science Division."

"R and D, way out here, that's odd." Cin pondered.

"Maybe he's a prisoner, Sir. Maybe one of the front line elements was hit." one of the gunners stated.

"Yeah, maybe; it makes sense, I guess." Cin answered. "And I'm not getting hung for killing a Colonel; even if he is seven hundred plus miles from home. Target the next bio. Load the neuron-gas. I want them taken alive. We need answers."

The tracks spun and the metal hulk jerked to its port. Déjà vu set in as Hayes's mind flashed back to the Israeli, Syrian skirmish he'd been involved with as a young Second Lieutenant. He was in the process of wiring a bridge, with explosives, when a platoon of old Soviet made T-66 tanks came rolling in. They may have been postwar surplus but they could kill a man, none the less. He gazed around for some type of cover but most of the terrain was relatively flat. Once that thing got rolling he'd be a sitting duck. His only chance was to head towards the burning camp before the armored vehicle had a clear shot. Maybe they'd be hesitant to fire on the camp if they thought some of their own soldiers were still breathing. Of course if any were alive, he might be jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. But he had no choice. If he stayed put he was surely dead.

As Captain Hayes rose to his feet and began to sprint, he felt a cool mist on his back, head and neck. His nostrils took in the familiar smell. It reminded him of the pine trees back in the upper peninsula of Michigan where he used to hunt and fish. Next his equilibrium went haywire. The man fell groggily to the ground. He mumbled the name of his long dead wife. His eyelids closed and his mind drifted to time long ago and a place far away.

The vehicle came to halt as a metallic latch opened and three soldiers spilled out with weapons drawn. Two took up positions on opposites sides. They dropped to a knee and fanned their weapons 180 degrees. They each shouted the word "clear" once they'd verified that all was secure.

The third soldier was the ape Lieutenant. He leapt several feet into the air landing just shy of Hayes. He picked the man up and slung him over his shoulder. The chimpanzee spun around as he witnessed his tank and the two men who were conducting security go up in a ball of fire. The blast threw the ape and his recently acquired prisoner threw the air and onto the hard ground.

Minutes later …

"Sergeant?" the confused chimp muttered out as the silhouette of a man appeared. It was dark and his vision was blurred.

He repeated the one word sentence again. Brewster said nothing in return. He simply flipped a switch on a small pad. The ape convulsed in pain and died seconds later.

**Argos – Sigma-Twelve, eight hours later**

Sullen limped out of the building putting the majority of the weight on his good leg. He mechanically balanced himself with the cane and stepped forward. He seethed with annoyance knowing that the chimpanzee responsible for his injury was sitting comfortably a few paces away. It was ironic that circumstances caused the ape to suddenly become a hypothetical ally. It wasn't likely, but if they managed to survive that Empire, Sullen wondered what the alliance would ravel into next. Polk was savage and in many ways much worse than the humans.

The simian groaned as he shifted his weight and took another step, followed by yet another. If he kept moving the pain sometimes took care of itself. Some days were better than others. He didn't know if it was the damp midmorning air or the stress of the debriefing but his wounded knee was throbbing more with each stride.

He'd just spent the last three hours in a debriefing with accusations flying everywhere. Grazot almost decapitated, Minister Baluk, the new head of the Ape Science Ministry. Baluk blamed the entire disaster in the Banned Territories solely on the General. What was worse was the comment the orangutan made about the IQ of the gorilla in general. That seemed to be common place when gorillas went head to head with chimps and orangutans over policy. Ironically, the human General broke in, adding perspective. He had a flair for speech making. The man considered himself a soldier but he was equally the politician when the circumstance called for it. Strange that his nation's salvation relied on the very animals he loathed. A century earlier they'd been hunted to extinction in this region. They'd kept a few for study but once the astronauts arrived and nearly destroyed Arum, Ndola butchered every last one of them in an attempt to support his fabricated explanations of their sudden return.

The Lord Prefect hadn't been as critical of the mission, as Baluk but he certainly shared in the pessimism. He couldn't deny that equipment, apes, and resources were all wasted …all gone. And they'd gained nothing. They'd also lost precious time and were now left scrambling for another plan. The nation was terrified and morale was low. It had been covered up but an Imperiam spy had been caught while Grazot was away. No one could be trusted and where there was one spy there could be a hundred. He chuckled. He'd often used that line when talking about men.

And that brought up a good point. Spies weren't the only predicament they faced. Citizens were openly questioning everything that had been taught regarding the human animal, its nature, history, and place in the world. It only made sense that their presence be limited to military installations like Argos Net. But soldier or not, all apes had been told lies about these creatures their whole lives. Now those hated beasts held their only hope for deliverance.

The ape was about ten steps out of the structure when a runner on horseback approached. "Prefect" he shouted, adding a salute. "Someone is signaling on the machines the humans installed, Sir. They claim they know General Grazot. They say it's vital that they speak with him. Something about intelligence information on that western militia"

"Dismount, Corporal" Sullen ordered. "Relay what you just told me to the General …and the humans. They're in the Observation Hall, there. Have them meet me at the Communications Hub"

With that, Sullen mounted the steed and rode off.

The cramped Communications Center was musty as the primates and their homosapien counterparts flooded into the area. Grazot ordered every nonessential ape or human out.

"What's this all about, Corporal?" Grazot barked out once the area was clear.

The Corporal looked up at the General and pushed a button on the equipment. He then stated. "See for yourself, General. You're clear to talk, Sir. He say's he's the human Major who traveled with you into the Banned Territories"

Grazot couldn't believe his ears as the familiar voice of Tom March crackled through the strange looking box. It couldn't be though. The man was dead. He'd died in the counter attack as the humans battled for control of their old capital, hadn't he? But there he was.

March skipped the formalities and flooded the airwaves with the information he had on the Imperiam. It was a condensed version but he brought them up to up to speed on where he'd been and what he'd seen. What he couldn't fill in, Brewster handled.

When they'd finished it was Major Polk who spoke up first. "There's an old ape saying; knowledge is power. But in this case I have to defer to an even older ape saying; what good is a lake full of fish if you don't own a net? We may have the details but they have both the momentum and the might."

"Yes, we …or should I say our human allies, have control of the ancient Orbital Defense Network…" Polk continued shooting a smug glare at St James. "But it's limited. Without access to a global sensor array it can only target predestinated areas. Sure they need to travel through this region to reach its capital and major cities, but they can hit my homeland and the humans from several directions. And although those areas are pre-targeted, we lack the means for a real-time response if multiple locations are hit. A global sensor can pick up on an enemy hundreds of meters away, but again we do not have that type of advantage. And once they get into our cities, what then; do we rain missiles down on Washington, on Ceasera? We'll just be doing their job for them."

"I may be able to help" Brewster stated. "With the equipment I brought and what you have on hand, I might be able to build an early warning interface."

"No offense, Colonel but I don't know you from Methuselah." St James firmly stated. "For all I know you're just a spy or saboteur. You're not going within a hundred miles of the ODN. It doesn't really matter anyway. It would take months to build something that sophisticated."

"Besides, the Major's right." St James added. "The system is blind. It's our best tactical option for sure, but what we need is deterrent. Without a functioning global sensor array the ODN is simply a hit or miss proposition. And we bet our entire hand on that mission east. Those bastards seem to know every move we make before we even make it. Every unit that's moved west has met with utter defeat."

Something in the head of Jon Hayes popped to the forefront of his mind; the island. The old weather station…It contained exactly what they needed. Amie's Grandfather may have found a way to save civilization after all. He stepped forward and identified himself. St James remembered the man. And those memories were not fond. The man was brilliant but insubordinate and a certifiable nut. Yet desperate times called for desperate measures.

"We don't have to go west." Hayes stated. "You have a functioning radar station right in the middle of Lake Nipigon. I think you call it, the Great Fish Pond."

**Imperiam Monarch – Forward Base Zulu**

"Thank you for coming. My name is Chapman. I'm the Chief of Research here." The man said with a nod.

The civilian spokesman for the group of Cabinet personnel and military officers said something about skipping formalities and getting to the point.

"Nobles" he thought cynically to himself. "What a bunch of arrogant jerks. The only thing worse is royalty". On the outside, the man smiled and said "Of course, right this way gentleman. I think you'll all be pleased."

It was mixture of both human and ape as well as male and female but the term 'gentlemen' was often used when referring to a large body, regardless of the sex or species.

"I hope this isn't a waste of our time." A Cabinet Senator added.

"I agree" Cade said. "We've lost contact with our forward bases in the east. I can't imagine what's so bloody important that you dragged us all down here and away from that."

The scientist leading the group answered with a confident tone. "Oh you're going to find it well worth your time, General. Believe me."

They walked down a long hallway and then into a medium sized room. A physician was inside with several syringes of what he called, Hydrolyzun.

"You'll all need to be inoculated. Trust me it's absolutely necessary. We haven't fully neutralized the radiation". As a sign of good faith, Chapman took the first shot. Once they were all treated he led them outside and to a large hanger.

The civilian leadership were still complaining but stopped as they gazed at the four massive metallic cylinders in their view. Cade's XO recognized both the objects and their markings immediately, as did most of the other military members.

"What is this, Chapman?" the XO asked rhetorically. "Nuclear missiles? That's why were here? His Excellency wants resources, wealth, raw materials, a workforce. He doesn't want a nuclear winter and a radiated continent. Research on this stuff was outlawed a century ago."

"You're missing the point, General Tods." The man stated seriously. "You forget that I spent three years fighting the resistance when we arrived. I have a grasp of tactics and supremacy. Maybe not as much as you, Sir but where you see nuclear winter, I see air superiority."

"Spit it out, Chapman." Cade grumbled. "You're one step away from a hanging. How are four tarnished nuclear missiles air superiority? I have pressing matters I have to address and unless you start giving me a reason to stick around, this little tour of your is over."

"Fair enough, Sir." Chapman replied. "We have metals and minerals but we're shot of compounds and rare elements that can construct power cubes. These devices not only have enough uranium to build several dozen cubes but they also have the necessary components for us to create aircraft. We not only found four missiles, General Cade, we recovered over a dozen old planes as well. Believe me, it wasn't easy getting it all here either."

Chapman nodded to a technician who was across the room. The ape pressed a button and a large curtain began to retract. And there it was; highly polished and fully functional.

"It's a prototype, General." Chapman stated proudly. "The engines are a combination of the old salvaged technology we liberated combined with our own and the uranium from the missiles. It isn't as sophisticated as the crafts we once had, but it is nuclear powered and fully operational. We ran an initial test flight yesterday at sixteen hundred. It held steady at Mach 5".

Cade sent the man several paces forward as he slapped him on the back in laughter. He pulled out his flask of whiskey and shoved it in the man's chest. "Have a drink, Chapman. You just brought the Empire into the next century."


	43. Chapter 43: The Movement of Pawns

**Imperiam Monarch – Forward Base Zulu **

The envoy of government and military personnel had finally cleared the area. Cade lingered behind to inspect the new aircraft. It was scheduled to recon the last known area where the forward elements were before contact was lost. He'd sent his executive officer back to coordinate with the relay stations and Air Defense units. The man was efficient and trustworthy, so sending him out to organize the particulars gave Cade the ability to shift his attention to other matters. The General could hang back here and prepare while his subordinate satisfied the immediate requests of the Cabinet. The ape had been mildly deceptive. Yes, the new prototype was to fly reconnaissance over the old central United States and get some eyes on what was going on, but Cade had something much more vital on his mind.

He'd known of the nuclear devices long before he'd taken the tour. His initial proposal of their deployment and use had met with stern resistance. He'd only shared that information with a few trusted Senators but they all reacted in the same fashion. Refurbishing and then launching them was out of the question. The Emperor made it clear that using such devastation was contrary to his purpose and ultimate will. And no one was going to challenge the will of His Eminence. Cade had no desire to radiate any of the enemy territories but these missiles could be used to cripple their advantage. If his plan worked it would take the teeth out of the eastern alliance. But all of his arguments had fallen on deaf ears. The Emperor said 'no' and that was that.

His Excellencies ideas were always seen though his juvenile tunnel vision, Cade mused; He was a spoiled brat who'd taken the throne at the age of nineteen. Lord Hilliard had not survived the transition between universes. Despite his genetic enhancements, the strain was too much for his ninety seven year old heart. Emperor Marcus was now middle aged and just as much, the brainless adolescent, as he'd been on the day he was crowned. It was no small task for the Senate and military leadership to keep him at bay. Despite the ODN, he was pushing harder and harder for all out war. He was determined to rebuild the Empire with all of its glory and establish his magnificent legacy among the nobility of history; Hence, the premature deployment of troops in the east. Cade was a loyal soldier and a devoted citizen but he wasn't about to die for a fool and his fool's errand; even if that fool happened to be the Emperor.

One positive note was that a fool was easily manipulated. Cade had put a spotlight on the forward troops. While everyone's attention was there he could maneuver back here discreetly and unnoticed. To the Emperor and the lapdogs in the Senate, all was as it should bel.

"You did well Doctor Chapman." Cade said tilting his head towards the man. "Better than I would have anyway. Believe me; the State Senate can be just as condescending and lofty to the military as they were to you. You kept a cool head through it all."

Chapman hadn't been thrilled when his supervisor first approached him regarding Cade's orders. Intentionally misleading the Cabinet was a no-brainer as far as consequences went. He'd be shot or beheaded immediately. No trial, no explaining, no nothing. They'd shoot first and gather facts later. His only comfort was Cade's assurance that he'd be immune from any type of penalty. And that promise meant very little from where he sat. Assurances were like elbows, he'd thought; everybody has one. But saying 'no' to General Cade would have also brought a swift and sure death, so he'd chosen the lesser of two evils. The doctor had taken a mild neuro-tranquilizer just before the meeting. It had helped to still his anxiety and stabilize his emotions, but its effects were beginning to fade.

"Thank you General. I appreciate that but I don't understand." Chapman stated uncomfortably. "Why ask me to lie to the Cabinet like that? I'm as good as dead if the truth surfaces. I mean, that story I told about building energy modules from the uranium …and uh the aircraft Sir… yes we salvaged some old fighters and a few bombers but it's no secret that the reason this thing is operational is because of what we recovered from that pod the two fugitive's crash landed in. Its gravity dampening tech and bio-fuel is what allows flight, not cannibalized scraps recovered on some excursion. Everyone involved knows that."

The man paused and wiped his sweaty brow with the sleeve of his coat. He then scratched his head nervously and babbled on for another minute. "That pod's technology almost equals our own but to be honest some of it is vastly more advanced. Take the fuel it uses for example. It's a highly unique chemical compound that doesn't degrade. It will ignite but can also self cool. …Self cool General, that's astounding. And for lack of a better word it _rejuvenates_ at the atomic level. If used under the right conditions it could essentially power a machine or device …well…forever. The rate of exhaustion is too small to measure…Why didn't we just state that to the Senate? Why all of the elaborate talk of nuclear bombs and salvaged junk?"

Cade laughed inside. The man's rant sounded like one long run-on sentence. "Relax Doctor" The ape replied with a cynical shake of his head, "You're dancing around like my granddaughter. Let me state it like this; the military brass and the political nobility don't always see eye to eye. I wanted you to tell them exactly what they expected to hear; Glory for the Empire, air superiority, endless power cubes to launch our magnificent might forward; Blah, blah, blah."

The ape paused and took a swig of liquor from the tin flask he carried. He handed it to Chapman who immediately took in a long gulp. …and then another.

Cade laughed again. This time out loud.

"Trust me Chapman," The General continued. "You mean little to them. No offense. They're an arrogant, self absorbed lot. You and this tour will soon be long forgotten. As long as that plane files you're good to go. Truth means little to those bureaucrats. You see while they live in fantasy land, I live in realville. I have a war to fight. A war I plan on winning. They wanted good news and that's what they got. Instructing Tods to read you the riot act about the nukes gave the ruse credibility. The use of nuclear arms is neither sanctioned nor legal. It's paramount to treason. You become exposed and so will I as well as the entire military leadership. And that will not happen. I'm a soldier, not a judicial advocate. I will always take advantage of what's at my disposal. I have to defend this great nation of ours with every and any means possible. To me anything less would be treason."

Chapman wasn't about to argue with the gorilla. What was done was done. The man wasn't going to be his next victim. Besides he actually agreed with what the General was doing on a certain level. Politics had often gotten between him and his research too. It was refreshing to hear someone talk in practical, no nonsense terms. And it was very rare to hear anyone openly criticize the government. People thought it but never bluntly spoke of it.

"I couldn't agree more, Sir" The man replied, handing the flask back to Cade. "I'll help in any way I can."…_Besides, what choice do I have_? The man thought.

"Good Doctor. It's imperative that we continue using the spacecraft as part of the story but only in part. Make sure that the official report attributes a strong majority of the success to the salvaged missiles. You can sprinkle in talk of technology from that crashed pod, but emphasize the nuclear components. And make sure you state they were dismantled and dispersed to create other needed assets."

Cade paused and swallowed the last bit of alcohol in the flask. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and said. "Alright, I need to head out shortly. I have a senior staff briefing in twenty minutes, but before I go; can you get these birds functional?"

On that point Chapman was certain. "Yes, General, I've already done the research. I can get you, one, possibly two, functional missiles by cannibalizing the others. With the remaining fuel I salvaged from the tiny craft, you could launch the warheads at any target on this planet. And that raises a serious point of its own, Sir. Our ADA stations are going to pick up any launch we make as soon as it happens. And you can't cover up a nuclear strike. The level of radiation and the massive seismic repercussions will set off every sensor relay we have."

"I'll handle things within the military leadership, Chapman." Cade answered in a semi-irritated tone. He was tired of this man's constant crying. "I am a General after all! Besides, I don't want to target anything on the planet. I want them space worthy. Your new boss, Colonel Parks thinks he's identified the location of the ODN satellites. I'm going to win this war before it even begins."

**000 - Later**

Cade walked into the room and greeted the other officers. They returned the formal salutation and the gorilla began the meeting.

"Are we secure, General Tods?" The ape asked his executive officer.

"Yes Sir." The man replied. "I cleared the area myself and just to be sure I placed dampening cubes in the room. No one is going hear this conversation, except for us."

Tods was as efficient as they came. Cade had hand picked the man over a dozen others who were in line for the promotion. He had no political aspirations and saw things in very distinct black and white terms. He also wasn't afraid to express his disagreement or apprehension to his superiors. The ape appreciated that. His only downside was his integrity. Cade would butcher a dozen to see his plans come to fruition and he had. Tods, on the other hand, may bend the rules or even break them for a just cause, but killing …no murdering… was not his way. However in this situation, both Tods and everyone else in the room saw things through the lens of patriotism.

Cade gave a full report on what he'd discussed with Doctor Chapman. He entertained questions and posed scenarios. He explained and explained again. Things had to be precise or they could all end up dead.

"Admiral Shunt". He said. "As chief military advisor to Lord Marcus you'll need to keep him focused on the infantry and mechanized units. I'll ensure the V.V.L. sends frontline updates regularly. That should keep him both content and preoccupied"

"With no Imperiam Navy in existence, what else would I be doing?" The man answered disdainfully. "But no worries, General, I'll handle our overzealous boss. Besides, with the execution of the Queen he's been more interested in his harem lately. Since Lady Ghana was obviously barren and her medical enhancements failed, he's been in search of a new consort who can produce a strong heir. I've added a few select females to keep him preoccupied. Trust me; he'll have plenty of 'content' to focus on"

Cade spun around to the commander of the Imperiam ADA. "Kenswick, I read your report. I can't stress enough how vital your piece of this project is. It isn't going to be easy once we launch. However, I'm pleased to see you're ahead of schedule."

"Yes, Sir," The chimpanzee replied. "We have several hundred short …and I mean very short range rockets. We've scraped together some of the salvaged aircraft and have a half dozen or so functional, yet primitive, mid to long ranges missiles. Once launched, we won't have a lot of control over where they hit. But it will blur peering eyes from our true objective. All of our ADA sensors will pick up the projectiles but that's just what we want. They'll be overwhelmed."

The chimp paused and slid an e-pad towards the ape. "The mobile platform for the nukes will be completed in about three weeks. If we integrate things carefully their launch will go unnoticed. They'll just be one projectile among the many. I'll handle the Air Defense radar tracking, once they're fired too. No one will see the birds exit the atmosphere. They'll blend right in with everything else being fired"

Cade addressed several more of his staff as they finalized their plans.

"Ok, one week, people" Cade said somberly. "I want this all finalized seven days from now. We have to get working on Operation Eagle. Once the ODN is out of the equation, we're going to hit the enemy concurrently on multiple fronts. We'll reconvene after the Solace holiday celebration. You all know what I expect …dismissed".

**Argos – Sigma Twelve – Six days later**

Hank Brewster felt more like a POW than a military asset since his arrival in Argos. The doctor was immediately brought before the alliance. Most of his time was spend being questioned, interrogated, cross-examined, re-questioned, and interrogated all the more. A majority of his scientific equipment and a few of his medical paraphernalia had been confiscated for _study_ and there were even whispers, behind closed doors, of torturing the information out of him. It hadn't helped that Brewster fired on the initial patrol they'd encountered once the three entered the region. His, shoot first and ask questions later, philosophy almost ended his mission before it even started. He'd been trigger happy and jittery ever since the attack on the Imperiam Communications Element.

He was lucky no one had been seriously injured. However the small outpost was nothing but sawdust and splinters. Once Sullen's apes heard the roaring sounds of the RS7's jackhammer mini-guns, they'd scattered screaming 'Invasion, Invasion'. The whole thing had been a little humorous to Brewster. Alarms went off, apes scrambled, shots began blazing…It was quite an amusing, knee-jerk reaction. He'd concluded that the Imperiam was going to swat these primitives as easily as he'd swat a fly. Of course, now that he was here, things were going to be different.

It had taken days to reach the recently formed alliance. Their arrival, as well as, the information and equipment they brought should have beamed a small ray of hope where the clouds of gloom had assassinated morale. But like any conglomeration of diverse cultures, there were diverse opinions. Those differences were overshadowing progress. Tensions, supported by a violent history, were surfacing. That history was not only violent but very personal. The alliance was holding but parts of it were starting to unravel.

At the five thousand foot level things were absolutely clear. An excursion to the island March and Hayes described was already in the works. As were plans to move west again and strike where they could. Or to recover the hidden technology that Sullen's forefathers had concealed. But on the ground level, old habits and mistrusts had taken root. One of the Rip Saws was to be stripped and reverse engineered. Its weapons would be dismantled and duplicated, if possible. The computerized components and its basic material were also uniquely advanced and offered the chance for a great leap forward. But initial ownership and dissemination of the technology had spurred a heated argument over tipping the balance of power. Both the apes and humans wanted first crack at the technology. In reality, what they wanted was an exclusive crack at it while locking the other parties completely out. Polk and his apes openly stated that they didn't trust St James and the humans. In response, St. James and his ilk voiced similar opinions regarding the apes.

For years Polk's simians held a distinct tactical advantage over the humans. They also outnumbered man, greatly. Under the leadership of General Voss, human settlements were often raided and slaughtered without mercy. They'd found their borders forced back at least twice in St. James' lifetime. The only time they were civil was during a trade for food or water and that too was usually slanted in the ape's favor, as well. General St. James had risked everything to secure the ODN. Human blood had paved a way to a new future.

The ODN along with the nuclear cells, Hayes had discovered, made him the new Superpower in the area. New Washington and the surrounding settlements finally had the energy and materials to produce mechanized vehicles. Factories were going 24/7. Every scrap of material in the area was being gobbled up. Old technology was everywhere and that too was being exploited. He'd be damned if those four footed savages were ever going to take another inch from him or any human ever again. In his pride, he was willing to let the full might of the Imperiam fall on him and everyone else on the planet.

Oddly enough it had been Brewster who'd quelled the dispute before it escalated too high. It wasn't through any eloquence of speech or charismatic flair, it happened by default. Brewster had failsafe codes on everything he'd brought. The ATVs, his e-pads, medial scanners…all of it was encrypted and locked down. Nothing they tried worked. Without the access codes his paraphernalia were nothing more than fancy paperweights.

Even if they possessed the necessary decryption software and expertise, it would have taken weeks to decipher. That had turned the rivalry from a stalemate to frustrated anger. The last thing they needed was some insane Imperiam spy running around with rouge mechanical …who knows what … at his disposal.

Brewster was a solid pessimist. A lifetime in a dictatorship could do that to a person. He'd realized he'd gotten off on the wrong foot. In order to survive one needed an advantage. One also needed connections and the upper hand. So he cut a deal with the Prefect. The ape Council had warned against it but Sullen was in favor of the agreement he'd struck. He'd cooperate fully and once the Imperiam was brought to its knees, he would be compensated with land, freedom, and position. Oh, and if Cade were ever captured, he was to be handed over to his custody, without question. It always came down to the same basic things, Sullen concluded; wealth, revenge, or power.

"Consider it a sign of good faith, Excellency". Brewster respectfully stated as the hydro-injection shot its medications into Sullen's thigh. "You'll feel the relief within an hour or so. With continued treatments, over the next few months, that knee of yours will fully heal."

Sullen thanked the man and for about the tenth time he corrected his use of the unique political title. The Colonel seemed more comfortable with the term Excellency than with Prefect. His mannerisms around people he perceived as his superiors were strangely different. He'd also noticed that the doctor was never ill at ease when dealing with simians. Odd, Sullen surmised. The man made him feel mildly uncomfortable. From everything he'd learned the Imperiam were butchers, but their society was completely integrated. And not just by species. They'd taken scientific know-how and elevated to new heights. Yes, it was very odd indeed. Each species was fully accepted by the other and they all worked together as one unique culture.

"One more thing, Excellency" Brewster stated, acting as if Sullen had said nothing about how he wished to be addressed.

The man held up a pad and waved it over the body of the ape. "You're in relatively good heath; taking your age into effect. However you're developing arthritis in that arm there. Your Radius is strained and cartilage is building up… Hmm, from the looks of it, you recently injured it."

"Yes" Sullen said. "About a year or so ago. I, um, injured it in the Banned Territories while dealing with some political fugitives I was chasing."

"Well Sire, I can certainly help with that as well." Brewster replied in confidence. "Please remove your cloak and fully extend your arm."

"Colonel Brewster," Sullen shot back sharply "will you please stop using those ridiculous titles when speaking to me? I'd rather have you address me casually, as Sullen, than by that annoying designation. Years ago we fought an enemy. Their leader was a vicious gorilla named Lord Atilious. He used the title, _Excellency_, like it automatically made him King of the World."

"Very well, Sir." Brewster said, adding a slight bow. "I meant no disrespect. Please understand that where I come from, one could lose his head for showing the Emperor even the slightest bit of insolence."

"Well, I'm not emperor. At least not how you understand it anyway" Sullen replied. "Respecting authority is essential, but killing someone because you may have a difference in opinion is foolhardy. The only thing it will get you are a bunch of yes-apes."

Brewster finished treating the Prefect's appendage. Sullen marveled at the fact that his knee no longer throbbed. In fact, there was no pain in it at all. The security elements assigned to the Prefect escorted him out of the room. A different detachment of soldiers took Brewster out as soon as Sullen was safely away. Moments later they were reunited in a large briefing area. The room was filled with various apes and humans. A table was in the center and Brewster's equipment was scattered about, on its face. The man was seated in the center of the area.

Quick formalities were given and the floor was handed over to Colonel Plateaus, the Argos commander. It seemed only fair that he cross examine the Colonel. It would have shown bias to give St James or Polk the opportunity.

"Colonel Brewster," the gorilla said. "My name is Plateaus, Colonel Plateaus. I'm the Contingent Defense Commander of Argos. I know the circumstances since your arrival haven't exactly been accommodating but if your claims that you're here to help are valid, we certainly welcome that. However, I want to be perfectly clear. If you're some kind of a spy or saboteur, you'll wish you never left that city of your. I can promise you that."

The only reply Brewster gave was a nod. The conglomeration reminded him of an Imperiam Sentencing board. He could tell that the armed guards spread around the room were just waiting for him to make the wrong move. So he decided not to make any move at all.

"Uh hmm" Plateaus continued clearing his throat. "Colonel, you're no fool, so I'm not going to treat you like one. And other than your, um, colorful arrival, you've been most cooperative. Time is short. We could be attacked at any time. Everyone is on edge. You claim to bring salvation but it's obvious you're not trusted. These devices, those machines, they seem to only obey you. You maintain that you have vital information so we're now giving you a chance to prove your value."

The man's intellectual prowess clicked into gear. These people neither trusted nor liked him. His choice was obvious. He'd need to produce a threat larger than himself. Brewster approached the Colonel. Two of the ape guards elevated their muskets. In return the man raised both hands, signaling that his intentions weren't hostile. "May I?" He asked, gesturing towards a small e-pad on the table.

"It's ok." Plateaus stated. "Lower your weapons." He then turned to Brewster and added "Please Doctor, proceed"

"Voice authorization; Tango, Seven, Seven, Alpha, Three, Niner, Six. Brewster, Commander, 578th Science Division"

The device didn't answer back but it did power up with a distinct hum. The national symbol of the Imperiam appeared on its radiant face. Brewster tapped a few buttons and spoke a few more commands. He paused slightly and gazed up at the room. He then fixed his eyes on Plateaus.

"Ok, I'm ready" He said in a calm tone.

The Argos commander was completely confused. He wanted to ask "Ready for what?" But not wishing to lose image with his peers he confidently lied with; "I understand, please go on."

"Where I come from our people are tagged at birth. It's used for both tracking and national security" Brewster continued. "This device can locate the frequency of the tags. What that means is, is that I can identify any and all Imperiam spies. Now, if I …"

It happened suddenly. The simian fired his flintlock pistol while leaping forward. Brewster was stepping towards Plateaus as the prehistoric slug ripped through the Doctor's shoulder. As Brewster fell backwards the gorilla wailed out while he was in mid air. His momentum and shift in weight sent him toppling past the man. He clipped the table and sent it along with the electronics all over the place. When he finally connected with the ground he was wobbling in total pain. Oddly enough, a human male and another ape were convulsing in their seats, as was one of the gorilla guards just to his left.

Some soldiers raised weapons while others grabbed the gorilla assassin and attempted to help the other quivering soldiers. The senior leadership of both species was doing what it could to calm everyone in the room. St James ordered a human medic to attend to Brewster.

Brewster slowly rose to his feet and said. "Spies, Colonel, those are your Imperiam spies".

**Arum City**

Jon Hayes paced back and forth at the wagon's side. He pulled the cloak a little tighter over his head. He carefully lowered the scarf that was covering most of his face and took a bite of the purplish, orange fruit they'd picked up in the last settlement they'd passed through. It had a tangy bitter taste but he was too hungry to care.

The city looked eerie. Damage from the _Dreadnaught's_ crash landing was still prevalent in certain places. A huge mass of molten brick and mortar was staring him in the face, just paces away. Part of the City looked rebuilt but progress was halted when the civil war broke out. Not only that, the fighting had caused additional damage.

"What do you think is taking him so long?" Hayes whispered impatiently to his friend.

"Beats me" March replied. "He doesn't exactly carry the influence he once had. If he didn't have those parchments with Sullen's seal on them, we'd probably all be hanging from a tree somewhere."

Hayes gazed at the thick iron doors of what appeared to be some kind of medical or science structure. He paced a little more and added "It's been almost two hours. We have a convoy a mile long. I don't like the idea of some scared ape screaming "human, human" or the idea of being shot at."

"I thought you'd be used to that by now." March added trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, you'd think so wouldn't you?" the man replied sarcastically and with a mouth full food.

General Grazot finally exited the building along with two other gorillas. He had a look of frustration on his face. The foot-apes were carrying a large rectangular crate. "Put it there" he ordered pointing at one of the wagons in the convoy.

The soldiers mumbled something too quiet to hear in response. They loaded the crate and asked "Anything else …_General_". The overly stated inflection of the officer's title was obvious. Word had traveled and the ape's respect was almost nonexistence among his own kind. It had been the same in Argos, Kawaka, and now they were seeing it here. The problem was that the rumors had become embellished and changed so much no one knew what the truth was. The theme, of course, was that Grazot had caused the rebellion and attempted a coup d'état of the existing government. People needed someone to blame and he was now the default.

Grazot ignored the disrespect. Instead he turned to the convoy commander and instructed him to prepare to move. He then looked at Hayes and said "Get in, we're leaving".

Not wanting to draw any attention, Hayes tossed the fruit aside and walked towards the mechanized vehicle. Unfortunately, his actions put a spotlight right on the man. The fruit hit the ground and rolled past one of the apes.

"Hey" the simian yelled.

It was obvious he was looking at Hayes. The man froze as his eyes shifter towards Grazot. No words were spoken but Hayes's expression was asking; "What should I do now?"

"Hey buddy!" the solider reiterated. "I'm talking to you, you deaf or something? You can't toss your garbage into the street like that. Pick it up!"

He grabbed Hayes by the cloak and pulled him back with a jolt. The two hundred and something pound man stumbled backwards and awkwardly smacked into the dirt. The ape hadn't expected the offender to be a scrawny human. He'd simply grasped the clothing to get his attention. The average weight of a simian was over five hundred pounds.

Grazot tried to shift attention to himself, but it was too late. The hood had blown back from the fall and the scarf over his face unraveled. Both soldiers stood there, half stunned and half terrified.

"Ok, ok, I'll pick it up!" Hayes said as he reached down for the fruit.

"He…he spoke … the animal spoke. By the great ape, it's true". The ape exclaimed. He pulled away from the astronaut as if he were poison.

The rumors of Grazot's betrayal weren't the only ones floating around. There had also been talk of St. James and the human mutant soldiers. Stories of how they'd help patch the nation back together after the separatists arose. But he hadn't believed it. From what he knew, Grazot had taken weapons and orchestrated the entire rebellion. But there was proof looking him square in the face.

The soldiers became even more spooked as Hayes moved towards them. The second gorilla dropped his musket and tripped back. The weapon discharged and fired into the dirt. Now everyone within earshot was looking at them.

"Umm, sorry… I've, uh, picked it up" Hayes muttered uneasily.

A couple of soldiers spilled out of the Science building to investigate the gun shot they'd heard. One raised a musket when he saw Hayes.

"Stand down" Grazot shouted with rage and authority. The startled simians complied.

"Get a grip Corporal and you too." Grazot barked at the two apes. He reached down, picked up the musket and shoved it into the chest of the second gorilla. "You're not a couple of cubs so stop acting like it. The human doesn't bite. Get back to your post before I call the wet-nurse and have your wrappings changed?"

The General turned towards Hayes and said. "Get in, we're leaving …now".

Before the situation got too out of control Grazot turned to Corporal Price and said "Move out"

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" March said with a laugh.

Grazot smiled and answered "Yeah, maybe a little. At least I felt like their commanding General again"

"Well I'm glad someone had fun," Hayes added "because, after that, I may just need the wet-nurse to change my wrappings!"

With that they let it drop. No real harm had been done and in a day or two they'd be at the Great Fish Pond.


	44. Chapter 44: Full Speed Ahead

**The Great Fish Pond **

_At least we're doing it right this time around_, Grazot mused. The trek across the choppy waters of The Pond would be much different than they'd been on his last trip. No spur of the moment scavenging for a vessel. No threats or bribes. No senseless loss of life. They were not going in a small craft, as before; they were going in the largest boat the apes possessed. Not only that, but there would be two companion ships to haul supplies and support personnel. The Island was going to become a central operations center for the Alliance. It was to be synced with New Washington and the relay stations in Caesarea.

Grazot made all the arrangements, covered all the expenses, and now had a hand picked crew based on the skills necessary to expedite the mission's success and completion. He looked around at his old homeland. Things were certainly changing. Several of the workers were fascinated with the equipment being both loaded and installed on the ship. Others were gawking at the tracked and wheeled vehicles in the convoy. Men were assisting apes and apes were working with men. The two races were even beginning to joke and create small ties. Nothing big, but at least the insults had stopped.

"Full circle, eh General? Back to where it all started" Hayes said as he skipped a flat stone across the face of the water.

"Yeah, so it would seem." The ape replied. "How's it going with the supplies?"

"We're almost loaded, Sir." Hayes answered. "All except for those crates you wanted segregated. They're in the supply tent as you ordered. I thought the ship's captain or whoever he is was going to have kittens though. He nearly wet his pants when you sent Tom and the other humans his way to make the final arrangements."

Grazot laughed. "It was a sight at that wasn't it? I wish I could have captured that expression he had when the Major first spoke up and handed him that manifest with the state seal on its face. He must have thought he'd lost his mind. But March is a good soldier and he knows how to cut through the crap and get things done, so the harbor master is going to have to learn how to deal with him and the rest of you furless _muties_. Listen, I want us underway in the morning so we'll have plenty of daylight to make this trip. It's bad enough to have to go back into that water, but I'll be damned, if I'm traversing it in the dark. I don't plan to take an unscheduled midnight swim."

"Ok enough on that" Grazot went on to say. "What about the enhancements? Do you think they'll be done by morning?"

"Fitting these vessels with motors and power cells isn't really that complicated. A lot of the work is already done too" Jon explained. "But most of the problem is with the weight of the equipment. In the larger ship we have to get that stuff down to the lower decks, but that's where your people help. You can lift ten times what the average man can, maybe more. I could have used a few of you when I got married. My in-laws gave us this oak cabinet. That thing weighed more than my car. I nearly broke my back getting it into the house. And then my wife wanted it upstairs, in our bedroom."

"Females, yes they can certainly make the simple, more complex" Grazot stated.

Hayes gave a half smile, in agreement, to the remark. A second later he got back on subject; "You don't have to worry about the trip across the water; with the onboard motors we'll be there before you know it. That island can't be more than an hour away at the most"

Hayes pointed out at the large Canadian lake and continued. He threw the last stone in his hand and paused as it 'kir-plunked' into the water. "I've operated speed boats since I was a kid. My family had one at our cottage, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This isn't all that different than Lake Superior. Once things are in place I can easily manage one of the supply crafts. But your soldiers need to realize that we'll be moving fast and the water can get choppy. That can make for an uncomfortable and bumpy ride. I don't need a midnight swim either. Just make sure they don't panic and pull me in."

"We'll address all of that in due course" Grazot stated. "But I actually called you here to get your opinion on something else."

"Um, ok?" Hayes replied inquisitively. "What's that?"

They walked over to a large supply tent and stepped inside. A couple of the local primates gazed at the man like he was some kind of alien from outer space. The astronaut was used to it by now but to Grazot it was becoming extremely old. His infatuation with humans had worn off long, long ago. He hardly noticed a difference anymore and he didn't have time for these childish fascinations.

"Stop gawking like that and finish with the inventory or the next thing you'll be staring at is the bottom of the Pond" He hollowly threatened. The General had no intention of drowning the apes, but they certainly got his point.

"Open that crate, there." Grazot said pointing at a very long rectangular container in the corner.

Hayes grabbed the crowbar and pried the lid back. He grasped and pulled at the padding and various protections insulating the object below. When he saw what was there, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Where did you get these?" He asked in confusion. "Better yet, _how_, did you get these?" Hayes rubbed the Kevlar box with his hand as he quietly read the writing on its face; "_United States Air Force_. _DOD Serial Number – A51200902457 – Intrepid Class SAM. _These areSurface to Air Missiles".

"Our forefathers migrated to this land after a great bomb killed nearly every human and ape in the banned territories …or the part they inhabited anyway. Prefect Sullen's grandfather was our first leader. Or maybe it was his great-grandfather, I don't recall exactly. Anyway, he began telling stories of your kind and rewriting history. He thought that your technology was some kind of evil taboo that had doomed both species. However, when they migrated north, they took things like these …machines… along with some books in the event that humans ever returned. He thought that if he could introduce technology in small pieces, it could be controlled." Grazot explained.

"Yes" Hayes said still fixated on the weapons. "You told us this already. So this is part of the supplies they took. What am I supposed to do with them? They're far superior to any SAM I've ever seen. Besides, these are used to take out air craft… Flying machines, General"

"I'm not sure I fully understand it either" The General replied. "I just heard about them myself, before we left. These were supposed to be taken to Kawaka, but they never made it out of Arum. Evidently, several dozen apes lost their lives when they first tried to manipulate their workings. The Lord Prefect doesn't want Polk or St. James knowing of these, or any other relics we have, but he thought that maybe you could make use of them."

"Well that would explain why one of them is missing." Hayes stated. "What other _surprises_ does your fearless leader have tucked away? But, like I said, this is for engaging air craft. They also require some sort of radar and ground control signals. You don't just push a button and watch it go."

"Well, we need to think of something. The Imperiam have some kind of flying crafts" Grazot answered somberly. "One of the human recon elements confirmed that two days ago ...Just before it killed every one of them"

"General, if that's true, we are in big trouble. If they gain air superiority, our armies will never be able to advance. They'll pick us off like flies. We have no idea what type of aircraft those are or what defenses they possess. We only have three SAMs. Even if they're sophisticated enough to take out their planes, what good is that against an entire air fleet?" Hayes asked.

"Well, it's all we have and it's better than nothing." Grazot stated trying to stay optimistic.

Outside the tent, Corporal Price was crouched on one knee as if he were sorting through supplies. He quietly stood and looked right, then left. It was still clear. The man slipped into the wooded area where he was mildly concealed. He removed the small device that resembled a compass and popped the face of the object. Next he pressed the _voice only_ option. Then he quietly spoke into its face. "This is Monarch eight one. The recon element is in position and will be moving towards the radar station within eight to ten hours. Once we reach the objective I'll send a final V.V.L. Be advised that enemy is in possession of three Surface to Air Missiles and has knowledge of what they believe to be Imperiam Air Craft." He quickly closed the face of the compass as he saw someone approaching. "Monarch eight one, out". He closed the face of the object and rolled it between his hands, as if he were bored.

"Price, what are you doing out here?" The man asked. He was a twenty one year old Staff Sergeant. Advancement within the Human Coalition was sometimes rapid. The young man formally entered the military at the age of nineteen. Within two years most of the leadership he'd know, at that time, were now dead. He'd advanced to a senior noncommissioned officer in no time at all.

"Hey, Max. I'm just taking in the sights." Price convincingly lied as he tossed the compass up and down, in his palms, a few times. "Can you believe all this vegetation? …and green vegetation at that. I just thought I'd slip away and enjoy it, for a second. I overheard the General talking about getting us underway soon. Man, I sure could get used to this. It beats staring at rocks and dirt all day. It's hard to believe that a place like this even exists"

"Yeah," the Noncom replied. "I think we've all noticed that. How could we not notice? But you'd better get back there. You're the General's driver and runner. He may want something. You know how officers can get".

"Yeah," Price said with a sarcastic huff. "What do you think of all this buddy-buddy stuff with these monkeys? First we take their capital and now we're sharing resources and intelligence with them."

"It is a lot to swallow, but as long as we're sitting on that tech back in New Washington, I guess I can live with it for now. I was in the assault on their capital. That was history too. For as long as I can remember they've been kicking the crap out of us left and right. They've had their boots to our necks for years. But this new threat is bigger than all of us combined. Maybe when it's over we can all live a normal life." Max answered. "Come on let's get back there before the Monkey needs a banana."

Price smiled and slapped the man on the shoulder. "Of course Sarge, whatever you say." And with that the two strolled back into the camp.

**Imperiam Palace – The Capital City: New Eden**

Emperor Marcus yawned as the two Nobles before him argued back and forth over a property dispute. He could think of a hundred things he'd rather be doing but by Imperiam law, as land owners, the two lords had the right to appeal directly to the throne. Their case had been heard several times and the lower courts had reached a stalemate. The crown was the final arbitrator in a case such as this.

_Lucky me_, the Emperor thought.

The argument was petty as far as the Monarch was concerned. One was arguing about the other butchering his slaves. Something over the splitting of a family due to an unpaid debt. The family had been segregated and sold into servanthood to cover the financial loss.

Evidently, the father escaped and went out his to retrieve his children. While on the land of the second party he'd been shot stealing them back. In retaliation the first party sent one of his simian slaves to slaughter the three surviving children belonging to the second party. He not only did that but he burned the servant's quarters to the ground and killed several of his livestock. He'd been captured and hung but the damage was done. Now both were screaming accusations and demanding compensation and punishment.

"…And furthermore, Your Eminence, in addition to the holo evidence, I have an itemized e-statement of both actual and projected losses…" the man rambled on.

"Enough," Marcus shouted rubbing his temples in frustration. "You both sound like a couple of adolescent school boys. You're Nobility for crying out loud. You ought to be an example to the commoners. Instead you're out there waging your own private war. I should have you both shot just to put you out of _my_ misery. And if I have to listen to anymore of this, I might have them shoot me too."

The two men stopped dead in their tracks and bowed in reverence. It was more in fear, but the gesture portrayed respect. They waited uncomfortably as the Emperor took his time to speak the next thought; hoping it wouldn't be orders to have them brought before a firing squad.

"You" he finally said pointing at one of the men. "You will compensate him for the loss in labor and cattle. Further, you'll pay any damages caused by your runaway servant. And you," he continued looking at the other. "In turn, you will replace his loss of labor. No compensation will be awarded for any kind of projected or estimated losses of profit or gain by either party. You take your slaves, rebuild your structures and leave the killing and destruction to our military. Am I clear?"

The man who'd lost his three slaves and servant quarters wasn't happy. His production had dropped considerably due to the reduction in his labor force. He'd lost a month's wages already. However, he was no fool. He stuffed his frustration, smiled slightly and said "As you wish, Excellency. Thank you for your wise and benevolent council."

The second babbled something similar but his groveling was a bit more sincere. He'd gotten off rather easy considering what he'd caused. Rioting could have broken out and that would have cost him his life.

"And let me include this, gentlemen." Marcus added. "If I see either one of you in here again regarding this or any other matter, you'll both seriously regret it. Consider things settled. Again, am I clear?"

"Of course, Sire. By your leave, Majesty" the two men said as they left the great hall.

"The Bondsmen will work out the damages and compensation" The judicial treasurer said as she waved them off in his direction.

No sooner had the room been emptied when the lord of the court whispered that the military leadership was requesting an audience.

"Never a moment's peace" The man muttered while shaking his head. "Ok, show them in."

Admiral Shunt and General Cade walked into the chamber with their aids and support personnel. The Emperor ordered refreshments to be brought in. "Better to do these things on full stomach, eh gentlemen?" He said with a smile. The truth was, he was hungry and that's all that mattered.

"So Admiral Shunt, what is so important that we had to meet under such _immediate_ circumstances?" Marcus asked. "Oh, and by the way, your selection of consorts was better than I could have hoped for. The Kingdom thanks you."

"You are too kind, Excellency," Shunt stated with a nod. The man pressed a button and a holo-map appeared. "If you'll look at the chart, Sire you can see where our forward elements are deployed. We have several armored battalions and artillery support units here and here. They're identified by these orange dots. Infantry units are at these locations in green. The enemy is massing on these lines here and farther north, here, in red. We believe that …"

Shunt went on to explain the full deployment of the Eastern Theater. He reported on the status of the other combat units as well. There were also Imperiam special ops working in the region. Cade presented his plans on reestablishing a new HHQ and stated that additional security forces were being deployed so that any further attacks could be spotted long before they ever approached their positions.

Cade also lied as he falsified reports from the spy network. Though they'd successfully assimilated into the enemy's ranks, nothing had been received in days. In truth, all but a two or three had ceased communication entirely, but Cade was not about to share that with the Emperor. It would just fuel his ambitions to attack that much more. Instead the General simply reported good news of gathered intelligence and sabotage of the enemy's bases and forward elements.

Cade's final briefing was on the status of the dismantled nuclear devices and their conversion to energy cubes. He spoke of plans to create air craft and he ratted off some impressive but inconsequential statistics and percentages regarding moral, equipment, troop strength, and logistics. He finished up with a phony projected timeline.

It was all falling into place. Or so it seemed. Cade and the military leadership were content until the Emperor shattered it all with; "I want us to attack within two weeks. Once the new Com HQ is place, we move."

"Excellency?" Cade asked carefully. "With all due respect, Sir, that's a bit aggressive, don't you think? We have to neutralize their orbital missile system or …"

"_Or_ what, General?" Marcus blurted out. "You just gave me a status report of sunshine and bunny rabbits. What's the big roadblock now? Your spies are obviously terrorizing the enemy from within and they're doing a damn good job at it. Have them focus on the ground interfaces with their satellites. Destroy their links to the ODN; suicide runs if necessary. We certainly have enough bodies out there for it. I'm sure they'd be honored to serve their Empire in its glorious victory"

This was one of the rare occasions in his life where Cade was at a loss for words. His big mouth had gotten him into this mess and he couldn't think of a thing to say except; "Yes, Sire. I'll arrange it immediately." He nonchalantly looked at Shunt and watchfully shook his head.

The briefing lasted another half hour but Cade paid little attention. Instead his mind was spinning for an alternative. The missile platforms were no where near completion and the nukes needed to be moved and hidden. That was no small task. He'd already pushed Chapman to his limit. Mixing things up now might push the weak fool over the edge.

_Two weeks. His disregard for the obvious is going to cripple the Empire. I'm going to have to delay the set up of the Communications element somehow_, Cade thought as he walked out of the great hall.

**Kawaka**

Sullen had experienced enough traveling to last a lifetime. He'd spent the past two months wandering from Argos to Kawaka and back again more times than he wished to count. It was good to be home, but he couldn't help but think of his departed family. Spring was coming and his wife always loved the warmer weather. His youngest son had a birthday coming up and that made things all the more bitter. These subtle reminders seemed to be everywhere.

_Knock – knock _echoed suddenly through the room. Sullen popped back into the present and said "Enter".

General Mikos walked in with Colonel Brewster. The Imperiam Officer was still being shadowed by security elements but things had eased up considerably. He'd been a great benefit to the Ape nation and he'd also benefited Sullen personally. The ape felt ten years younger and possessed a renewed energy since the doctor had been treating his injuries. The Prefect hadn't used a cane in over a week and half and the pain in his knee was nearly nonexistent. His mind, body, and stamina; all of it made him feel like he was in his prime again.

"The prisoners talked, Lord Prefect." Mikos stated. "We have a few names and specific locations. But there's a catch. So do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"I'm sure none of it is going to be good but let me hear it anyway." Sullen stated.

"Thanks to the Colonel here," Mikos answered, "we've located every spy within the Alliance. Oddly enough there were only four. Three were with the humans in their southern capital. Communications report they've been neutralized. That's the good news, Sir."

"Ok" Sullen said "Spit it out. What's the bad news? Where is the forth?"

"The last one is with General Grazot and his element and we didn't get a name or species. The prisoner hung himself this morning." Mikos said plainly. "And we can't reach Grazot either. In our last communiqué, he reported that he was about to embark for the island."

"Whoever that person is, Excellency, you can bet he's on the way there to sabotage your sensor array." Brewster added.

Sullen had given up on correcting Brewster. The man was determined to use Sire, majesty and every other irritating title he could muster up. But that was the least of his worries.

"Ok, gentleapes, I have a plan." Sullen replied. "If executed correctly it just may give us a fighting chance. Colonel, you say that every citizen is implanted with one of those _chips_, as you called them."

Brewster nodded.

"That object you have…it can sense and disable a person implanted with the device…Can you build something like that on a larger scale?" Sullen asked.

"Maybe, Sir" The Doctor stated. "If you had the equipment, I suppose I could, but its range is limited… probably to Three thousand meters; maybe four in an open area."

"But it is possible, then." The ape said standing to his feet. "Listen, if we could build such devices and place them strategically, we could disrupt their advance, capture their equipment, turn this into a more even battle"

"Well, Lord Sullen," the man replied in a reverent posture. "I suppose it's probable, but the Imperiam will pound your cities to dust before any ground elements move in. Of course, you could bury the transmitters, but you'll limit their range even further. You could deliver them by missile. If you have any, of course. That could be an option as well."

"Doctor," Sullen asked. "Could you instruct the Human Coalition and Polk's scientist on how to construct such devices?"

Brewster nodded again. "It should be easy enough. All you need is a steady frequency broadcasted on standard communication equipment in a wide band. I can probably build you something in a couple of weeks or so…"

"No" Sullen interrupted. "You're coming with me. We have to find that last spy and that bloody equipment of yours only works for you. Make the necessary arrangements General Mikos. As much as I hate leaving, I'm heading for the Pond"

"As you wish …_Excellency_" Mikos replied with an over embellished bow and a grin.

**Approximately Thirty Five Kilometers NE of Tepoc City**

_Boom – Boom – Boom _– the artillery shells exploded in a linear sequence and took out a full city block in the process. In the distance apes spilled out of the garrison and buildings running in every direction possible.

The town was in chaos but the military did their best to organize. The enemy knew just where to strike. Their water reserves had been hit and parts of the city were inundated in a thick muddy paste. It had literally cut the town in two. The garrison was still standing but that was only because it had been shielded by some of the taller structures. The only good news, if you could call it that, was the cities main power supply. It was underground and shielded from the bombardment.

"Rollo" the ape yelled "Get yourself to high ground and see if you can't find out where that artillery fire is coming from."

"Roger, Lieutenant" Rollo replied as he leapt in the air and scaled the tallest structure he could find. His heart was pounding as screams and secondary explosions went off all around him. He looked out at the militia and mechanized units in the distance.

"Forget the artillery." He shouted "We've got enemy units approaching in iron, track vehicles."

The gorilla officer paused and shouted at another soldier. "We need to get counter fire on that position ASAP! Get on a horse and see if you can help our field artillery dig their heads out of their collective rears so they can put some bullets into the air."

As soon as he finished he heard a familiar whistle buzzing through the air above. The Lieutenant ordered anyone within earshot to take cover. He cussed and beat the dirt with his fist as he watched Rollo and the structure he was on shatter in a sweltering blaze. Chunks of gravel and dirt peppered his hide. It stung as the tiny elements scarped across his flesh.

"Why would the humans attack, LT?" a young private asked. "I thought we signed an armistice."

The ape ignored the ignorance of the inquiry and simply replied with. "Who said it was the humans?"

The officer immediately called out to one of his Platoon Sergeants and gave the order of "Steel Rain". It was the emergency code that Polk and St James had worked out if an attack were to hit. All Territorial and Coalition cities had a predestinated code that corresponded back to a set of coordinates within the ODN. Every officer and NCO had been given the code. It was the only alternative the officer decided.

The ape understood the order. He tore off a piece of his uniform and wrapped his wounded thigh. The cloth immediately soaked up the blood spilling out of the wound. He then wobbled to a horse and rode off towards the communications center. _I hope it's still there,_ he thought to himself.

Several meters north a crackled voice filled the air of the Imperiam Fire Direction Center. "This is Raven-one; I'm reducing speed and will be over the target in approximately 2 Mikes. Please hold your fire until I signal again, over"

"Sir," the RTO shouted to his commander outside the vehicle, "Air support is requesting that we cease our barrage for the next few minutes. They're coming up on the target"

The Platoon executive officer acknowledged and relayed the information to the gun line. He instructed the artillery battery to stand down.

Within the cockpit, the pilot in command flipped the com switch to the internal communications channel. "Ok Miles, talk to me. What do you have?"

Captain Miles glanced at the screen and said "There's a power reading off our Port side at 10 o'clock. It's buried …eighteen meters underground. No Bios in the vicinity. I'm sending the coordinates to navigation. We also have some sort of heavy equipment on the far side of the town."

The navigator acknowledged. "Coordinates received and logged Skipper. We have one primary target and two alternates."

The three man flight crew looked down at the settlement as the plane dove. Most of the city was leveled. The parts that weren't, were burning out of control. A small militia had formed in the western portion of the city. They looked like tiny little ants scurrying about after some child had stepped on their hill.

It didn't matter anyway. They died before they ever knew what hit them. The plane pounded the underground power cells and strafed a few more targets. Minutes later it disappeared into the clouds and headed back for home. Once it was out of range and the pilot had signaled the all clear, armored units with infantry support advanced towards the city with blazing speed.

Off in the distance, the Territorial soldier grasped at the communications equipment. His bloody thigh and exposed side told him he didn't have long to live. He was light headed and his vision was blurring. It was ironic he thought as he reached out to his bitter enemy for help, but orders were orders. He plugged in the emergency signal and said "Mayday, mayday – This is the Territorial city of Tepoc, _steel rain_, I say again, _stee_l..." The ape fell over and died just as the structure went up in a ball of fire.

"Transmission stopped, Sir and the bio is neutralized" the observer in the Imperiam tank stated. "But some of it got through".

In New Washington a Coalition Major received the news shortly after the message came in.

"Get a holo-image up now. I want this verified." The man ordered.

The technician fumbled with a few buttons and warned of the power drain, but within seconds, it was confirmed. The Major entered the code and the automated systems did the rest. The ODN launched enough ordinance based on want it calculated from the Major's Intel.

Three missiles spread across fifty kilometers, was all it took. The orbital platform released the clamps. The power generators and the micro processors within the rockets core ignited and the projectiles made their calculated descent towards the atmosphere. Their internal targeting pinged the selected objectives and processed it along with New Washington's statistics in a millisecond. They evenly spread out over the impact area calculating maximum yield. That information also included the apes in Tepoc. Once confirmed, the objects went to mac-2 and streaked through the sky.

The advancing Imperiam units were caught blind and hit like a sledgehammer. The firepower rained down and engulfed every soul and object within its predetermined range. Several large mushroom clouds of dust and flame rose into the sky. When it was done all of Tepoc was obliterated as if it had never existed.

Every Imperiam soldier within the fifty kilometer radius was also vaporized. No one on either side survived. The city and surrounding desert were now one large smoldering depression of dirt, molten metallic fragments, and sullied fused rock and glass. Just outside of the blast radius, the surrounding dried out vegetation burned with a violent combustion caused by the outward push of the exploding force. The inhabitants in the next ape settlement looked up at the fiery reflections bouncing off the heavens.

**Imperiam Military Command**

Admiral Shunt walked into Cade's office without even knocking. It took all of his self control to remain poised. Cade took little offense to the intrusion. He knew the man well and the look on his face was signaling; _disaster_.

Shunt took out a small device and fixated it to wall. He pressed its face, paused about three seconds and waited for the object to light up. "We have to talk, Cade, now"

"Colonel Parks, will you give us a moment?" Cade asked.

"He can stay." The Admiral said signaling for Parks to remain seated. "What I have to say won't remain a secret for long. Besides, it won't take Imperiam intelligence long before they realize they're being jammed."

"Hmmpf" Cade huffed mockingly. "I have half of them in my back pocket. Besides they only listen when I want them to. No one is going to show up at my door. So get it out my friend, have we been exposed?"

"No nothing like that, Sir …mind if I have a drink?" he said, changing the subject for a moment. Cade waved him off with a smile but said "Will you stop dancing around it and spit it out already?"

Shunt gulped back the liquor and filled Cade in on the Emperor's unilateral orders to attack the eastern alliance at what he called 'one of their weak spots'. "The only weak spot is between our Sovereign's ears" the man added angrily. "Look at these aerial holo images."

Cade tapped the pad and watched the static images flash before him. Shunt filled the images in with combat status updates from the field commanders and V.V.L. data.

"Good gosh" Parks stated as the photos stopped on the final image. "Look at the destruction. Everything's gone. These warheads are different than the ballistics they fired at our probe of the Sigma Twelve outpost. They look like they're sub-nuclear"

"Damn straight, Colonel. They're some kind of ion based missile. Similar to what we used in the Demeeka uprisings of '88" Shunt replied gritting his teeth. "Three hundred men and one hundred and twenty eight apes, gone Cade. Just gone. We lost two full armor battalion and as well as the combat support elements. Thank the fates that _Raven_ survived. Until we build more, it's the only air unit at our disposal."

Cade was stunned, as was Parks "Why would he do it Sir?" the Colonel asked. "He knows they'd retaliate with their orbital missiles. I proved that when we attacked the northern ape province. That was the whole reason for the raid. I briefed the Senate myself. Lord Marcus was sitting right there…"

"Give it a rest Colonel" He answered. "You're trying to explain this with reason and logic. We all know how eager Marcus is to expand our territories and add gold to his coffers. The fool got drunk last night with his harem. He started ranting in anger and gave the order."

Parks asked. "But the Senate has proxy in these matters. Why would they sanction it?"

"They didn't know" Shunt said shaking his head. "Hell, I'm supposed to be his chief military advisor and I found out from General Trion's office only after _Raven_ landed. He jumped on the V.V.L. and gave the order directly to the commanders in the field."

"Ok, arguing or confronting the crown will just get us imprisoned or killed" Cade stated. "The damage is done and at least this is an isolated incident. … Damn it! … We don't have the personnel or equipment to spare. We meet on Operation Eagle tomorrow. We'll sort it out there once all of the information is in. Let's get something to eat. I'm sure we'll be pulled into a Senatorial briefing soon enough."

As if he were a psychic, Cade's V.V.L. lit up. It was Senator Ghent ordering the senior military leadership to an emergency debriefing.


	45. Chapter 45: A Twist of Fates

**The Island **

"Yes Sir," Price stated acknowledging the transmission. "I'll see that he gets it … Uh huh… Yes Sir …Understood… I'll let the General know at once …roger… I understand… Price out."

_Well, that's that_, the man thought as he killed the power to the com device. _And just to be certain_ …He paused and dislodged the tiny circular jammer he'd brought. He bent down and attached it to the under-face of the machine. Next he twisted it slightly, pressed it flat, and the silent blocking signal dampened everything within inches of the machine.

"There, that should do it just fine. As far as they'll know, it will just be interference in the atmospheric conditions. Now that or any other messages will never reach anyone, unless I want them to" The Corporal stated with smugness.

"What are you doing, Price? What's that thing you just attached to our com link?" Staff Sergeant Max Peterson asked. From his tone, the man sounded as if he knew exactly what the answer was. "Hmm, surprised to see me, Corporal?"

Price jumped around and flinched as the sound of the abrupt voice completely startled the man. He'd been sloppy and gotten too relaxed. "Max, you shocked me …I was just um, adjusting the equipment. There was some atmospheric interference and I thought maybe I could cut through it by…" The man began to lie in a friendly tone.

"Shut up Price …If that even is your name at all. And spare me that flimsy, dim-witted, demeanor you always seem to display. I'm tired of that constant babbling mouth of yours. Do I look stupid to you? I've had my suspicions for awhile." Max explained. "You seem to duck away a lot and you're much too familiar with the relics for some dumb infantry grunt. Things seem to go wrong when you're around, too. I knew if I gave you enough rope you'd eventually hang yourself. That's why I asked Major March to have you replace the …_ailing_… Private Willows on the radio. Willows is fine, but suddenly, you're not looking so good …old buddy."

"Come on, Max. Listen to yourself. It's me …" Price replied as he started to approach the man.

Sergeant Peterson leaned forward slightly and pointed his pistol a little higher. "I said to shut up. And stay right there. You're through pal. I did some checking. No one in the 45th ID has ever heard of you. Well not of _you_ in particular anyway"

Price looked a little confused and for the first time his face conveyed an appearance of worry. His usual friendly, hillbilly, smile was replaced with a quite serious stare. He was slightly angry with himself for not noticing that Peterson had been shadowing him. _Alright_, the man thought as he reassessed his situation. _Obviously he's on to me. I just let him finish and then I'll make my move. I knew this might happen and I can still get out it_.

"Yes Price, the 45th. Not all of them died. The unit was scattered in the attack. One officer and three enlisted personnel survived. One was a female from 1st Platoon, 3rd squad. Pretty ironic, eh? ...that's your old squad. She knew a Corporal Price. But he happened to be a black male. You're white, Price. Or maybe you've just been out of the sun too long. Yeah, maybe that's it. Besides she also said she watched him die when the monkeys tried to take New Washington." Max explained.

Sergeant Peterson carefully moved to his left and grabbed Price's rifle. He threw it to the side and waved him towards the door with the pistol. "Move it. Pretty convenient cover story for you except you weren't aware of any survivors, were you? Now we're going to take a walk, Price and visit the General. He can decide what to do with you. But I'm guessing he shoots you on the spot. Maybe he'll even let me do it. I'd much rather be shooting apes but in your case I'll make an exception."

_Ironic indeed! _Price thought to himself_, Of all the dumb luck_. There was no point in carrying the charade any further. This man had certainly done his homework. But Price had come too far and failure was not an option. If he was unsuccessful it would certainly mean his life. Regardless, if he didn't act now he was going to die anyway. "Ok" Price said raising both arms as if he were surrendering. "You're all finished anyway. Do you think this rag tag bunch of Neanderthals was ever any match for our Empire? Do you idiots actually believe that muskets are going to stop our tanks and mechanized infantry?"

It happened quickly. A simple flinch in Price's wrist and the tiny dart was away without any notice. "Sorry to disappoint you, Sergeant, but I'll have to decline your invitation". He added disdainfully.

The contaminant in the small projectile acted with Peterson's blood immediately but with one negative effect. The man's muscles contracted. He clenched the pistol tightly and squeezed the trigger. The weapon discharged and the small slug punched into Price with intense force. It settled in the upper portion of his chest and sent pain shooting into his shoulder and neck. He spun backwards and knocked over the equipment. He was light headed and could feel unconsciousness creeping in.

_The meds_ his mind cried out as he slapped away at the pocket on his olive drab blouse. He drank the small vial he was carrying and let the stimulant course through his body. Holding the wound, he exited the tent through a hole he'd cut in its rear. As he stumbled out as several other bodies spilled in.

"What's going on?" Lieutenant Craig shouted as he looked at the mess. His eyes were fixed on the convulsing body of Sergeant Peterson. He began to call for the medic when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. _Thump, thump, thump_ – the small object sounded as it bounced across the harden dirt and bumped into the side of his boot.

"Grenade" he shouted, but it was too late. The com station and everyone within its range was blown apart. All of the equipment and associated supplies went up with it as secondary explosions echoed throughout the air. Off in the distance the military leadership heard the screams, the detonation, and witnessed the rising cloud of smoke.

_Always when I have coffee_. Hayes thought to himself as he looked at the black cloud rising in the distance. _Someone up there is dead against me ever enjoying a cup of it in peace_.

"What in the world now! That's the main communications site" Grazot stated. "I told Lieutenant Craig to be careful with that equipment. …I should have assigned my apes to the task" he added with a mumble.

A squad of soldiers ran ahead to check out exactly what had happened. Moments later the short range com device Grazot was carrying crackled with the bad news; _General, this was no accident, Sir. We've been sabotaged. Just about everyone is dead and we have wounded. Whoever did this is still alive. …or they were anyway. They appear to be severely injured._ _There are footprints leading into the woods and a trail of blood too. _

"Price!" March whispered. "Peterson must have been on to something."

He looked at Grazot and said, "General, I think what we discussed earlier is actually true. We have a spy in our midst. We spent a lot of time here. We know the woods and the terrain. I think we could track him"

"Go ahead," Grazot answered. "Someone has to. I might as well be you. But I don't want him alive. You put a bullet in his head before he does anymore harm. Dead spies tell no tales. Am I clear?"

March nodded and turning to Hayes he said, "Jonny, grab a rifle and come with me. If he went into the woods he'll be heading for the old ranger's station. We can flank him if we move through the old ruins to the south."

Hayes shook his head as he tipped his cup and watched the hot brew splash downward and soak into the grass. He then picked up his weapon and followed after Tom.

**Senatorial Court – New Eden**

The dispute had been going on since noon and it was now getting into the evening. The Emperor had ultimate authority but at times a united Senate was known to stalemate his rulings. It was uncommon and risky but it had happened. Senator Ghent had pulled the governmental leadership together as soon as he'd heard of the failed attack. He'd lost two sons in the fiasco at Tepoc. His Excellency was not a man to be trifled with but a blunder such as this was just too big to ignore. Ghent was filled with rage and had formed a supermajority. Many of the Senators had also lost loved ones in the attack. And more than a few had spouses, sons, and siblings serving abroad. Sending criminals or those who were condemned, on probing raids, was often used in Suicide Missions; just as it had been in the raid of Sigma Twelve, but this was different. These were 'real' losses. The only similar failure had taken place, eighty years ago, during a border skirmish with the Kirin Republic. Those bastards had caused irreparable damage before they were ultimately thrown back.

The public was of one mind; Any further attacks were to be discussed and approved by the Senate, before a single man or ape was dispatched. Though the isometric images from Raven were considered classified, Ghent had made certain to flash them everywhere. The Imperiam News Syndicate also had mysteriously been transmitted a copy by an aerial imaging link. The broadcast personnel were puppets of the Imperiam intelligence, who were pawns of the Emperor, but Ghent had his sources too. He'd made certain those images showed up on the daily broadcasts. Everyone in the Kingdom was now aware of what had taken place. Even the Emperor couldn't dismiss it. But he was still the ultimate authority and neck deep in the mix of it all.

"Enough" Marcus shouted at Ghent "Are we so naïve to think we'd suffer no causalities? No losses? The southern Ape nation lost a major logistics outpost. They had an entire artillery battalion housed at that location. And with that gone, we now have nothing stopping us from marching right into the belly of their territory. Our reports now state that their military presence in the area is now almost nonexistent."

The last statement was fact but the orangutan refused to stand down. "Sire, they have an orbital defense system _stopping_ us. Or has that escaped your attention" Ghent answered dangerously. He'd been getting bolder and bolder with each exchange. His wife hadn't survived the transition and without his children, he was now completely alone. Dying was becoming a comforting thought. "Three missiles, Majesty, that's all it took to wipe out hundreds and vaporize our equipment; Equipment not easily replaced. Imperiam Intelligence estimates they could have up to a fifteen hundred projectiles spread across five orbital delivery platforms."

The ape paused and looked back at the Senate and then at the military leadership and went on, "Fifteen hundred warheads, _gentlemen_. Isn't it obvious? Any attack while that thing is operational is nothing less than suicide. Hell, we have proof of it twice over". Losing himself further in his anger he turned to Marcus and let his personal feeling burst through. "Not only that …it's reckless stupidity to think otherwise. That attack was a gross lapse in judgment. All did was weaken our resolve and kill our children. We lost hundreds for …nothing. …Nothing" he shouted in repetition. "You'll be the death of us all, if you're left unchecked."

The ape had gone from arguing to pungent bantering. That statement nearly cost the Senator his head. Marcus was beyond spoiled. As the sole law of the land and he considered himself superior to everyone and anyone. Emperors were not deity, but they were a close second. No one had ever told the man 'no', let alone stood up to him in such blunt honesty. And as a spoiled child would, he naturally erupted with rage, shouting for security. "You'd be wise to hold your tongue Senator Ghent or I might just have it removed …along with your head. I'm the Sovereign here, Senator, not you. I won't be lectured by the likes of you or anyone in this legislature"

Next, the Emperor threw the e-pad he was holding and jumped to his feet ranting _treason_. The device struck the ape in the shoulder and glanced to the side. It hit the floor and broke into several pieces. The Senate and military personnel murmured amongst themselves adding to the chaos. As the royal leader went on with his tantrum, Cade saw a golden opportunity. It was obvious these people were looking for answers and he had them. They desperately needed someone to provide sane guidance and sheep always needed a shepherd. He rose to his feet and in a futile effort, tried to calm the mob. Once he determined it was pointless he discharged his pistol into the polished wooden floor. The acoustics in the chamber amplified the blast by several decibels. Apes and humans alike instinctively jumped and coved their ears. The Emperor's personal security nearly cut the ape in two as every weapon in the chamber became instantly fixated on the General.

"Citizens of the Imperiam, listen to me." He shouted loudly. "Are we an Empire or a savage pack of wolves? Lords and Ladies, everyone is on edge and throwing around accusations is a waste of time. We've all seen the images. We all know what happened. We have got to move past this!"

He walked over to Ghent and put a paw on the ape's shoulder. He tiled his head and added a small smile signaling for him to sit. It was one of the few times Cade was actually being sincere. Ghent took in a deep breath, but the pause was enough for him to relax and regain control. He reluctantly obeyed. Cade then turned to the throne and went on; "Sire, Senator Ghent lost his only sons in the attack. His wife is also dead. The ape has nothing of value. No heir, no family. He is not thinking clearly and thus his comments need to be looked at in that light. The ape deserves very broad latitude here. I know what a wise and merciful man you are; we all do. If you will allow me to address the assembly I believe I have a solution that can deal with the missile platforms in orbit and accelerate our deployment timetable considerably. We lost a lot in that attack, but we can still use it to our advantage"

Marcus still looked as if he we wanted to choke the orangutan personally but he could be dealt with at any time. _And you will be Senator, you can count on it_, the Monarch promised himself. He babbled a few half apologies and addressed the remarks of Ghent. The man formally dismissed them but only to save face. It was clear to him that the majority of his people were united on how they felt with reference to the attack. Once he was done with his long winded chattering, he gave Cade the floor.

The ape gazed at his military staff as he began to lay all his cards out on the table. Tods whispered into his ear. He knew the ape well and could see where his boss was headed "If he doesn't go for it, Sir were finished. Keep that in mind." his XO stated.

Tods was right. Until now they'd been working in secret. That was the real act of treason and Marcus had no idea it had ever taken place. But this opportunity might just give him the official support of the Government. He leaned towards his XO and whispered, "Watch and learn, General, as I bring our beloved leader on board and make him believe the whole thing was his idea."

He twisted the facts but clearly explained the advantage and safety of launching the nukes at the ODN. A week ago he would have been drummed out of the procession for even considering their deployment but everyone was weary and they simply listened. He embellished the speech with talk of extreme circumstances requiring extreme measures. Cade explained that there would be no fall out and no radiated earth. He stressed that once it was successful the military could attack in force and at his will. In the end, he'd won the support of ninety percent of the government. Once, Marcus bought in the other ten percent fell right into line.

"Eminence," Cade concluded. "I'd be derelict in my duties if I didn't develop multiple scenarios. With the proper support and supplies, I can have this plan ready in three days. We could begin the advance on the forth. There's a large staging area already in place in the East. They're just waiting for the orders."

Hours later …

Cade was exhausted but once again he'd won. Emotions had been high and no one put up that much of a fight. He smiled inside as his arrogance patted his ego on the back. He now had the full backing of the entire regime. In the morning he'd visit Chapman and have those weapons brought on line. But now it was time to head for home and sleep for the next six months.

As he approached his vehicle he could hear the click-clack of footsteps and the all familiar sound of someone calling out his name in panic. He was very close to his automobile and contemplated getting in and driving off but reluctantly he paused. _I'm sure I'll regret this_, he thought.

"Sir … Sir" the woman chasing him huffed out. "I'm sorry to bother you but we have an emergency transmission from Monarch eight one; Code 16-Q."

"Eight One…" Cade thought as he forced his brain to think. "That's Captain Summers, isn't it? He's embedded with the unit that's trying to link the missiles into a global isometric array ….16-Q?" Cade echoed "That's a signal for an immediate wide angle strike. They must be close to completion."

"Yes General" she replied "And we picked it up over two hours ago"

"Two hours?" he echoed once again. Only this time the ape's tone was all the more serious. "Tell me you brought a recording." Cade was irritated. He was exhausted and his patience was wearing thin. "Why am I hearing about this now? Why wasn't this handled by the senior officer on duty? I should be getting news that 16-Q was completed, not requested two hours earlier"

The woman held up an e-pad said "Sir, I'm just the messenger. I just found out myself minutes ago. Everyone was at the assembly and the V.V.L. operator didn't want to disturb anyone. Here's the communication, General. Play time index twenty hundred and sixteen. Monarch eight one"

_This is Monarch eight one. Request Code 16-Q upon receipt. Sending coordinates now. Enemy radar site located. If it becomes operational the enemy will be able to target the Imperiam mainland. …. I'm compromised. Request Code 16-Q immediately. bam - bam _… static …

"Didn't want to disturb anyone? What part of _immediately_ does the RTS operator not comprehend…" the ape never finished the thought. He immediately opened a line with his V.V.L. "This is General Cade, authorization Golf, three, three, six. Launch Raven, Code 16-Q, at these coordinates …" Cade synced the two devices and filtered out the obsolete data. Once that was done he sent the information. The officer of the day on the other end acknowledged. He then forwarded the message directly to Raven's hanger.

Cade turned to the woman and said "I want the man or ape who sat on this message shot ...tonight …That fool may have cost us all our lives."

**Sigma Twelve**

"They're gone Colonel." St James said frankly "And trying to have prevented it would have just been pointless. If the Territorial Commander wants to commit suicide I'm not about to stop him."

"We have orders, Sir." Plateaus shot back. "We spent weeks making these plans. He can't pull an entire Contingent out of the theater of operation like this. And what about the vehicles he left in? We need those, as well. We can scout and recon ten times the area with those machines and now they're gone. The Alliance won't stand a chance sitting here blind."

_Theater of operation_ …St James smirked at that. How quickly these musket totting cave trolls picked up on modern terminology. But they had a lot more to learn. They hadn't experienced a real war in decades. And they certainly never faced an enemy with type of technical expertise at their disposal.

"They lost an entire city, Colonel. The weapon used scorched everything for several Kilometers" The General explained. "He lost vital defenses …artillery as well as his water reserves for that region. They're exposed and when this bloody Imperiam Monarch is done probing our provinces, they're going hit us like Zeus."

"Zeus?" Plateaus asked.

"An old fabled god … it's not important." The General answered. "But getting back to Polk…I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if they attacked our homeland. Besides, I agreed to let him take the tracked vehicles. He wouldn't stand a chance without them. At least it kept him from asking for those Imperiam buggies. I have some plans of my own for those things."

"Yes… the buggies" Plateaus stated smugly. "We can get to that in a minute. But they've attacked my homeland too" "And we didn't go marching off into the Banned Territories looking to get ourselves massacred"

"According to your Leader, you sent an entire Division into it over two men who crashed into Arum." St James said now beginning to feel a bit aggravated. "Look, there is a ray of sunlight in this. They're transmitting a signal. If they come upon any Imperiam elements, I can target their location. Who knows, we have reports that there's a massive staging area out there somewhere. Maybe they'll find it."

Plateaus thought for a moment and said, "Target their location? You mean drop that black powder from the sky on them…Kill them, just like that?"

Now the ape's ignorance was surfacing, the General contemplated. He'd gone from _theater of operation_ to _black powder from the sky_. And yes, the man thought, he'd kill Polk and his apes without losing a minute of sleep over it. He also knew that if things were reversed, the Major wouldn't hesitate to eradicate him and every other man on the planet. What was even worse was that this ignorant gorilla didn't realize that once that was done, Polk and his Army would move in here and rape this area of every resource it had. After all, under different circumstances, he would have done it too.

"No, not just like that, but if they endanger us, I might have to." St James lied. "The ape is no fool, he knows the stakes involved. Besides, Polk is a smart officer; one of their best. He knows we're tracking them. In fact, it was his idea. He'll find a way to make sure that doesn't happen."

It was as if the man had intentionally walked into it with that last sentence, Plateaus thought. "Oh he's resourceful." The ape said in an unusual tone. "And I think he already found a way to make that happen. Follow me General and I'll show you just how smart of an officer Major Polk is."

They mounted a couple of horses and headed out to the fenced in region where the RS7s and the Imperiam Quad were being stored. The gears in St James's head began to turn as he rode up to the site. "Where are the guards? Why isn't anyone ….oh no, He didn't …damn that furry little son of a …" the man said. He was so angry he couldn't finish one thought before the next one sprang up. "How could he have?" he continued as he dismounted and pulled open the doors to large building where the vehicles were housed. The area was empty except for three old tracked APCs belonging to the Coalition. On top of the last vehicle was the tracking sensor Polk had asked for.

"They're gone General St James …all three of them" Plateaus said stating the obvious.

"Do you mind telling me how this happened and why I'm just now finding out about it?" The General asked.

Out in the Banned Territories …

Polk was perplexed. He had maps but everything was too level and barren. Whatever had been here when these documents were created changed significantly over the years. The farther they traveled the less vegetation and growth they found. There were a few stones, bricks, and scraps of metal where civilization once stood but most of the area was just sand and rock. There weren't even animals or insects present.

"First Sergeant Kamas" Polk said. "Bring me that relic we liberated. And get Desit up here"

The chimp snatched up the ancient device they'd taken from Sullen's office and handed it to the Major on his way out. Shortly after, he returned with the Territorial scientist.

"Turn it on." Polk said handing the device to the ape.

"Oh, and a good morning to you too, your majesty". The old orangutan replied snatching the object violently from his paw. He wasn't military and he wasn't young. He'd protested when Polk had him snatched out of retirement in Ceasera and lugged across the planet to who knows where. The trip had also killed the venerable scientist. Because of that the Major gave him certain liberties when it came to courtesy and respect. The ape was mockingly sarcastic but he was brilliant as well. Polk needed him, so as long as that was true; the Major simply let him rant.

Desit mumbled something insulting about having to show Polk, for a fifth time, how to operate the device. He tapped a few buttons and spoke to the object. "Display nearest location" he said.

The device calculated its position and locked in on the closest signal.

"There," Desit said turning the device towards Polk. "I've bypassed the encryption and authentication protocols. All you have to do …as I keep stating… is to press this and pick an option here. The objects you're looking for are in that direction, but the signal is degraded. There's nothing to lock on to"

"Nice work, Desit." Polk said sincerely. He turned to one of the soldiers in the tent and added. "Get him some coffee and see that he's fed. Then let him rest…comfortably!"

The soldier acknowledged and went on his way to do as he'd been ordered.

"Ok we're just going to do this the old fashioned way." Polk said talking to the First Sergeant. "Get your compass out and put us on an azimuth in that direction there. At least we know were at these grid coordinates here or we'd be totally lost."

"I've got it Sir." The Senior NCO replied. "I've been doing this my whole life. A little flat terrain isn't going to throw me off. Besides, if I have to, I can navigate us off the stars. The landscape may have changed but the heavens have not."

"Everything has changing it would seem; new nations popping up, new enemies' present where only desert once stood, and an integrated culture of simian and human… That just isn't right. And I want to start bringing a little order to the chaos. We have to deal with this Imperiam. Once that's done we can decide how to handle the humans" Polk replied.

They traveled for ten days with little signs of anything except dirt and rock. The last eighteen hours had been spent in a cave, escaping a sand storm that had whipped up out of nowhere. They had taken ample supplies but hauling it along with their equipment and chemicals was slowing things down even more. Polk was starting to wonder if this excursion had been the right choice. Maybe it would have been more prudent to head back home, but that would have involved traveling through the poisoned waste Lant had stumbled upon. No, he concluded. He would have had to circle hundreds of miles out of his way to avoid that. The worse part was that the detour would have taken him into the human territories. No human being was going welcome a full armada of militarized apes rolling through their settlements…ally or not, that would never be permitted.

As Polk sat eating whatever slop the chef had prepared, First Sergeant Kamas walked in with Desit. The old ape had no sarcastic comments. This weather had taken its toll. In fact, the simian was taking a turn for the worse.

"Get him comfortable" Polk ordered. The sentries set the orangutan in an old fold out field chair. The Major followed up by walking over and wrapping a blanket around scientist. He put a paw on the apes shoulder and patted it gently.

_What is with these Scientists?_ Polk thought. _Do they all have to be a hundred and fifty? First Emus and now him. I'd give my right arm for a specialist who hasn't reached twenty_.

"Get the doctor in here" Polk whispered to a Lieutenant close by. "Tell him to drug him, sedate him …or kiss his boo-boos if he has to, but he's to keep him alive."

The gorilla nodded and went on his way.

"Ok, Kamas, Let's hear it. By that look you're itching to talk. What did the human prisoner have to say?" Polk asked.

Just as St. James had stated earlier Major Polk was indeed a talented, competent, officer. He had a head for; tactics and sound strategy. He'd sent the buggies out in the storm to scout. One of the recon patrols had captured an Imperiam scouting party doing the same. They'd killed everyone except a human officer. He'd been subjected to Zolarin. The man had talked, but died from hemorrhaging, shortly after.

"Well Sir, we've got em." The First Sergeant stated with a smile. "Whatever short range tracking they have on their vehicles is linked into their military electronic network. It's the way they determine friendly elements. We tapped the frequency the man provided and used the captured buggies com devices and hit the jack pot, Sir. We found a massive staging area; Tanks, artillery, mechanized infantry, and a ton of equipment, it's all there."

Polk paused. While Sullen and St James were planning their idiocy, he was using his position and rank to grab every bit of intelligence he could. He knew of the plane, knew of the spy network, and just about everything else. The more he uncovered the more his plans changed from that of the Alliance. Once he'd learned of the attack, he decided he couldn't just sit by. Voss had set a series of events into motion. As a result, The Territorial ranks were 1/3 their original size. The humans now had Washington and a vast array of its untapped technology. And they were using it. Where once a single tracked vehicle had been present, there were now several dozen. He had nothing but his wits. But with any luck things were about to change.

They knew units were in Renovo Desert (_western United States_) but a staging area was too much to pass up. Polk read the rest of the intelligence report and for the first time in his life believed there just might be a Santa Clause.

"This is too good to be true. I almost can't believe my eyes. Christmas may be coming early Gentleapes." Polk said grabbing his belly and mimicking the jolly old ape.

"Ok, opportunity only knocks once," He continued this time more seriously. "According to this report, the entire crews are out maintaining vehicles and supplies. The sand storm is raising as much havoc on their systems as it on ours. They have technology. They have relics coming out their ears. We have tactics, gentleapes …strategy …a plan. I want those toxins we brought put in systems that our mortar units can use. We're going to attack in force and seize that equipment."

The ape rose to his feet and clenched a fist. "Once we have their relics, we're going to shove them down their collective throats. And once the Imperiam is brought to its knees, we'll turn our attention back to the animals that attacked our capital."

**000**

It had taken hours to synchronize. What made things worse was that there were signs that the wind storm was letting up. Polk had to move now or never at all. If the Imperiam regained access to their bio scanners, he was finished. That why he'd deployed the two stolen RS7s on their flanks. If something went wrong they were to scrap the, _attack and seize_, and shift to, _attack and destroy_. Either way, the Imperiam was going to take a major hit. Hundreds of personnel and equipment were here. But if Polk could capture all of that military paraphernalia, he'd have confiscated the largest stash of relics in the entire Territorial history …combined. This was as big a prize as Washington and would certainly put his country back in game.

It was later afternoon and the lead two scouts were reporting that several hundred soldiers were reinforcing the camp while others rotated into the mess halls. "Caterpillar, this is Veranda, over. I estimate that 90% of the personnel are in the open, over"

"Roger Veranda, ok," Polk stated over the radio "Let's do this. Get those Quads ready. The four advanced teams are to move in now. Once they signal the Quads can go. However, if something goes wrong, Caterpillar, you signal the flanking units and we initiate plan Bravo."

The two Imperiam Sand Quads had been equipped with several containers of gas. They were the first wave. They'd drive in find the most densely populated area and release their chemicals. It was a suicide mission. Their second objective was to disrupt as much command and control, as possible. Shoot at everything that moved and create total chaos. They were not to touch any equipment except what they deemed to be communications devices.

Before the Quads entered, the outer security outposts in this area had to be dealt with. The region was much larger than Polk expected and warning posts were scatter around their outer boundary.

Minutes later…

"Unit 3, Bingo" the ape said as he easily twisted the head of the human manning the post. Seconds after that Units 4 and 1 gave the same signal.

"Unit 2" Polk whispered into his mic "What's your status?" He peered through his binoculars and cussed at the elements who weren't cooperating. He couldn't see anything except a gigantic dust ball. He was just about to cuss again when his earpiece echoed with static.

"Unit 2, Bingo." He reported. "The gorilla was strong, it took both of us finally put him down. The lanes are clear, out."

"Top" Polk said to the top Sergeant in his unit. "Bingo 4, I say again Bingo 4. Signal green, Send the bikes forward."

Kamas acknowledged and ordered the wheeled vehicles in. They moved at a normal rate of speed and approached the southern portion of the encampment as if they were simply returning from a routine mission. They were covered from head to toe and littered with various pieces of the uniforms of the now dead recon element. The ape waved at the guard and tried to move past but the gorilla put a boot on the front rim of the vehicle.

"Hold it" he said sharply "Your vehicle, it's not giving off a transponder frequency. What are those things you're hauling?"

The driver had no idea what a transponder was so he blurted out "The storm. This thing has taken a beating. We almost didn't make it back."

"Makes sense" he said "But what are those things you're hauling and I thought we only sent out one patrol. The e-roster says Bravo-3 should have reported back over five hours ago. You're all simian, where's Lieutenant Belc… Gaa"

The knife pierced his neck, moved upward and scrambled his brain. The chimpanzee mumbled that he'd have to be a nine hundred pound gorilla and not a seven hundred pound chimpanzee as he pulled the body aside.

"Come on let's move it" the mission commander said. "Storm or not, someone is going to notice us if just sit here"

They removed the rapping on their faces and then donned their chemical protective masks. Once that was done they opened the valves on the containers and began dropping them throughout the area. The poison quickly shot out in all directions and mixed in with the wind.

They were crude but effective. Once the signal was give a wide disbursement of chemical mortars erupted throughout the campsite. It hadn't been easy to convert the projectiles in such a short time but it had been done. Polk knew a direct confrontation would only result in their deaths so he'd already worked out a plan for a chemical bombardment. One on this scale however still took a lot of work. They had to hit the entire area with single volley and it had to be dispersed with enough effect to kill the enemy in mass. Polk was about to see if Desit was worth the effort.

The adverse weather helped to slow down any organization that was taking place but the wind and sand also affected the gas. Yet despite that bodies began to gag and fall over. The apes in the Quads were doing their part to as they all spread out and took up spots, shooting at anyone they spotted. Polk ordered the initial barrage based on Desit's calculations. They fired everything they had and that would simply have to do.

When the initial element signaled; _Shutter-fly_. Polk sent the remaining elements forward in the Coalitions tracked vehicles. They were armored and equipped with chemical ventilation. They rode forward firing and trampling anything that breathed. They too had been equipped with gas canisters. Infantry elements in chemical gear spread across the wide area. There was slight resistance but the weather and toxic fog had done the trick.

The two RS7s did what they could to keep the enemy boxed in. They fired their arsenal on the flanks and cut down anything that entered their kill zone. The Imperiam had no idea what was happening. Without access to their bio sensors they were left, blind and groping.

Forty Five minutes later, Polk emerged. He couldn't believe his eyes. "We did it." He said in bewilderment. "We actually did it." Indeed he had. They'd lost two APCs and only seven soldiers. And though his orders had been precise regarding the military equipment, three tanks and two personnel carriers had been destroyed in the advance. Some of it from the mortar strike and some of it due to a last minute attempt to organize. One of the enemies RS7s was burning but if it hadn't been engaged there would have been more than two vehicles and seven causalities on Polk's side.

But it was over and he'd won. Not by superior numbers. Not with superior firepower; he just did things the old fashion way - Superior tactics, taking advantage of the terrain, and catching your opponent with his pants down.

The echoing of sporadic gunfire could be heard as squads of apes killed off any of the survivors.

"Top!" Polk stated. "Grab everything we can. Get apes into their vehicles and take what we can. Move to the rally point ASAP. What we can't take, we destroy. This storm is dissipating and I don't want to be here when these armatures realize what happened.


	46. Chapter 46: A Spy for a Spy

**The Island **

The Imperiam fighter-bomber flew just beyond the tree line as it positioned itself for a second pass. On the ground smoke and fire rose from the bombardment it just delivered. Practically nothing was left from the bodies that had been caught in the immediate blast radius. Destroyed equipment and supplies littered the region, as well. Intermittent machinegun fire rattled through the sky with no effect. Raven was too low and moving too fast. As the craft began to bank, Raven's combat command consol surprisingly flashed with warnings.

"Major, we have company. One inbound bogie …it's at our 8 and coming in hot and fast." the Operations officer stated.

There was a slight pause as the man pushed a few buttons and confirmed the final readings; "Displays are hot! They just fired another ….no wait …imaging confirms two more; one on our 6 and the third is at 3 o'clock. They're triangulating. How in the hell do they have Air defenses? Their tech is supposed to be centuries behind ours."

"Damn it." The senior Imperiam pilot exclaimed under his breath. "Those speculative morons in Intelligence missed something …as usual. Of the three nations, their skill is supposed to be the most primitive; almost prehistoric" He flipped on the crew audio and continued "Ok, we don't have counter measures installed, so hang on everyone. Bob what's their ETA?"

"At our current speed, impact with the first missile will occur in thirteen point three seconds. The other two are about six seconds behind that." the Operations officer replied.

The ship's commander immediately turned to his co-pilot and explained; "I'm bringing us hard to Port, heading; one five three mark zero. We have to climb. We're sitting ducks right here. Follow my lead and as we easy out of the turn, bring her about on course two two one mark six. Arm one of the Hawk missiles and get ready to initiate the ion-thrusters on my command"

Raven-One twisted suddenly as it jerked left in an attempt to avoid the approaching projectiles. The twin atomic engines superheated and the plane ripped upward, almost immediately breaking the sound barrier. The sonic boom echoed backwards towards the earth leaving a deafening roar in its wake. The pilot gripped the controls, pulled back, and Raven climbed even higher into the sky.

"Were clear, Skipper but they're adjusting" echoed through the onboard communications link.

The old American made Radeon III Disrupter shot through the gap Raven once occupied. Its internal smart-guidance interpolated speed, angle, distance and the probable point of intersection. Working in concert, it sent telemetry to the other airborne ballistics. The plane was faster than the inbound rockets but the three missiles were simultaneously coordinating and adjusting as they mirrored the movements and pace of their evading target. Their onboard nuclear cells provided enough power to keep them in flight for decades. Raven could run, but she'd have to trek home at maximum speed to ultimately escape their pursuit. It was either run or take them out.

"Sir Hawk armaments One, four, and five are now hot". The man reported. "The incoming birds are correcting as we move."

Suddenly, without warning, the plane's instruments sent out a dull tone. "We have a problem." He stated. "One has just gone into turbo. At our present course and speed, estimated impact with the first is about four point two seconds."

The pilot didn't answer. He simply hit the throttle and sped forward.

One of the objects banked hard and veered closer as it calculated any starboard movements by the aircraft. The second Radeon missile swerved in the opposite direction as it sought out the intersection point of the plane's present course. The third projectile increased to maximum speed. It couldn't catch the craft but it did get close enough for what its stage-two internal processing had already calculated and premeditated. It closed on the craft and narrowed the angle of embankment. Once it determined the peak yield, it detonated.

Raven jerked for an instance. The vivid blaze from the blast momentary blinded the three men inside. But disabling the plane via an explosion wasn't the weapons select purpose. Shrapnel hit Raven but it only resulted in negligible damage. The real harm came from the radionic pulse that infected the plane's strategic software. The missiles weren't designed as simple ballistics. They were developed as a stage three EMP. That simply meant that they didn't disable machine electronics. It was a more sophisticated pulse. They radionic beam carried a series of binary sequences designed to scramble the existing software.

The plane began to slow. Smoke was billowing from various parts of ship. Inside sparks leapt from the starboard imagers, _we've been hit. _The Pilot thought. "The other two missiles", he shouted out loud, jumping back into reality. He pulled hard on the stick and once again began to climb, but the craft felt sluggish.

"Sir," the Operations officer stated, "Chronometer, aptitude, guidance, and missile locking have just gone off line. The software is being …rewritten." The man reached down and ripped out one of the circuit boards. "I'm yanking the main and switching to the aux schema. It will take time for it to reintegrate"

"Bob" the ships commander said "We just lost turbo and the other missiles are seconds away. Whatever you're doing, hurry it up! Without Ion thrust I may not be able to outrun them for long."

"You have about 12 seconds, Bob" the copilot added.

Earlier…

"Get down!" March shouted, tackling his collogue. He shoved the man behind the humongous tree and concurrently took cover with him.

As the holographic image faded, the small device blinked, flashed quickly, and sent out a wave that scorched everything in its limited wake. The two men shied away from the large tree they'd taken refuge behind as the heat of the pulsation forced them backwards. The ground, the vegetation, and immediate terrain were completely seared. A blackish green crusty ash was all that remained. The smell was almost as rancid as the damage it had caused.

"A holographic likeness?" Hayes coughed out covering his nose.

The Air Force Captain patted the dirt and dried leaves off his uniform and continued. "That guy actually lured us in with a simulated projection of himself. Where in the heck did he come up with something like that? If I hadn't been stupid enough to fall for it, I'd almost be impressed."

"Who knows how they do it. It's right out of a science fiction movie." March replied. "But if the tracking display on this rifle hadn't warned me, we'd both be dead."

"He's good, Tom" Hayes huffed out wiping the dirty sweat from his face. He took a swallow from a canteen and went on. "Price has been toying with us for almost two hours. First that stunt with the wounded animal he had us chasing and now this. He's playing us for fools and he's seriously injured too. I'd hate to see his work on a good day."

"Remember that British non-com we trained with in the last year of mission prep?" March asked as they moved forward. "Kind of reminds you of him, doesn't it? He'd be just the guy to pull a stunt like that"

"Yes Sir. I remember him well. Master Sergeant Wilfred H. Stiles II" Hayes said, pointing in the direction Price had taken. "You gotta love the English and those elaborate names and titles they all seem to have. He was a slippery SOB wasn't he? …Sure wish he was here now. …All that Johnny Rambo crap he had us do. Sneaking into the enemy camp and slitting the throat of innermost soldier. …Hiding in plain sight of your adversary…I never could get any of it right."

March laughed and nodded as he thought back to their training. "Ok look Mr Rambo" He said jokingly. "Price can't keep evading us, toys or not. These A1X rifles we used in DC may not have any more smart-rounds but they can still track a heat signature and he's close by. They've kept us alive so far. He's just trying to mess with our heads, but that's because he's severely wounded, unarmed and can't fight back with conventional weapons. Otherwise he'd have simply ambushed us. He's playing all his cards, hoping to get lucky."

The Major was correct. Price, AKA, Captain Daniel Summers was desperate and dying. He was leaving behind a set of traps but he was running out of gadgets, energy, and luck. The IBP (_Isometric Ballistic Projection_) was his last hurrah. He now had nothing left to fight with. But it had bought Price time and that's what he needed. He'd made his way through the ruins of a small fishing town and was now trying to reach the high ground to transmit a last minute message.

_Cough - Cough_ Blood was now coming out with the saliva and mucus. His vision was also becoming blurry. _This is bad_, he thought as he realized he would soon be standing before his creator. He forced down the last bit of the meds that had kept him going and fumbled for his compass. It had nearly mapped the area via its complicated electronic functionality. Once it was done, he'd be ready to transmit. Price popped open the face, held it close, and prepped for a final V.V.L.

_Cough - Cough_ The man felt faint and lightheaded. The medications weren't working. He was fading out. It was now or never.

"This is Monarch eight one." Price wheezed into the device. "Request Code 16-Q upon receipt. Sending coordinates now. Enemy radar site located. If it becomes operational the enemy will be able to target the Imperiam mainland." He paused slightly as he coughed up more blood … "I'm compromised. Request Code 16-Q immediately."

Bam – Bam.

The first bullet clipped Price in the shoulder. Chunks of flesh, cartilage, and bone spewed from his crimson stained appendage. He twisted backwards and dropped the transmitter. The device shattered as it bounced down the rocky hillside. The second round passed through the empty space that Price's body once occupied and embedded itself into the old debris just behind the dying spy.

March and Hayes were both winded but raced up the side of the hill. Price stared up and spit out his last words in a blood soaked smile; _Cough - Cough_ "Taa …too late. You son of a …_Cough - Cough_ "Imperiam …Fighter-bomb...errr … You're all through" And with that he died.

"Fighter?" Hayes said looking at the dead remains in front of him. "You don't think those rumors of aircraft are true do you, Tom?"

"I don't know" the man answered. "But now we know why Grazot had you working on those SAM missiles. These apes may be primitive but they're not stupid."

**OOO**

Colonel Brewster was much more comfortable giving orders, than acting as a field combatant. For the last forty five minutes he'd been hustling Grazot's gorillas round like they were his own personal servants. He'd tasked them to clear an area; fifty meters by fifty meters. While some of the apes cleared foliage, others were digging, and the rest were prepping a huge tree trunk he'd ordered them to carry in. It was an efficient use of skills and resources.

The Doctor and Lord Prefect arrived on the island just after March and Hayes had set out after Price. Their initial mission had been to weed out the last remaining Imperiam spy, using the Colonel's device, but the two astronauts had taken care of that problem for them. They were good at killing and for once Sullen was grateful for it. Yet, now they faced an even greater challenge; Aircraft. Initially, The Prefect had no idea how many were coming or when they'd arrive, but Brewster was the former head of Imperiam R & D. Because of that he had firsthand knowledge of, _Project Raven_.

"…Only one plane, Colonel? Are you certain?" March asked. "That goes against every bit of aerial tactics I've ever studied. What about wing support?"

"It's simple, Tom" Brewster answered. "First, the Imperiam doesn't have an air fleet …yet! They have one and certainly no more than two working aircraft at the present. Second, it's still two more than any other Kingdom on this rock possesses. They'll send a single fighter, not an armada. Why should they? As far as they know, there's nothing that could stop an airborne bombardment. These three _relics_, as you call them are our only chance. They're designed as predators and that might be just what we need"

"If they even come at all." Hayes added in an unusual optimistic tone. "Maybe the transmission never made it or maybe they'll save its use for some future offensive."

"They're coming, trust me on that, gentlemen." Brewster answered, throwing cold water on any hopes to the contrary they may have had. " . transmissions use the atmosphere. They leap-frog off of it, so to speak. That transmission got through. Our real enemy is time. If they strike before we're set, this will all be for nothing."

"Then get to work, Doctor." Sullen declared curtly. "…Because once you're done, you're going to scan everything that breathes with that device of yours. I don't want any more surprises. I've had enough foxes in my hen house, to last a lifetime." He shot a quick glance at March, who picked up on the subtle double meaning.

Sullen then turned to the gorilla at his side and went on. "General Grazot, I want a full report on the progress with that radar station. Have the human technicians been able to talk to …whatever it is they're trying to communicate with?"

As the apes walked off to discuss the main mission, both Hayes and the Colonel focused on the task of setting up the aerial defensive perimeter. The gorillas acted as muscle while the two techs put their minds to work. Brewster was beyond brilliant but Hayes was a ballistics expert. Between the two men they worked out the particulars.

A few hours later they were completely done.

"Ok" Brewster explained. "They're armed, powered, and I've set up a wireless isometric command interface with this e-pad here. The man explained its functionality and then presented the bad news. "We lack GPS or Atmospheric Ion Locking so they'll only lock at close range… a few Kilometers… Maybe"

He didn't need to finish. Hayes got it long before his boss put two and two together. "We're too far out. We won't get a chance to fire unless they dive." He said.

It had been inescapable. This spot was the only open section in the surrounding area. Not only that, but it also was the only place large enough to allow the projectiles to launch without incinerating the others.

March may not have initially picked up on meaning but he certainly understood how to deal with it once it had been fully explained. "We need to clear that area and get some defenses in place." He said. "We're going to have to shoot at it with some of the 50 cals. Possibly try and make a wall of bullets. Intersect our fields of fire and …"

As March explained his plan the all familiar rumble of jet engines ripped through the air. Seconds later it felt like an earthquake was taking place. The island trembled so hard that even the apes were shaken to the ground. In a flash, the trees off in the distance burst into flames. The craft streaked across the smoldering tree line and in the blink of an eye dotted past the three men.

"It's maneuvering … coming in for another run." March said dusting himself off.

"Fire those missiles …Right now" the Major added, but Brewster was already on it.

The Doctor grit his teeth and spoke to Cade as if the ape were standing right next to him. "This is for my wife you four footed bastard." The first projectile ignited and raced into the air.

"Ok, it's locked" the Colonel shouted. "The others are linking to its signal. Give me a second to sync…"

Shortly after Brewster made similar statements to Cade about his daughters as he launched the other two tactical bullets.

"Surprise, Surprise" he said grinning away. "Let's see how you fly-boys like this."

Present time...

Raven-One curved in a U-shape direction and turned into the flanking rocket. "How are we coming on those thrusters, Robert?" he asked as he leveled the craft slightly. The pilot was waiting for the right moment to manually fire the Hawk missile, but he was cutting it too close.

"Working on it, Sir" the man hastily answered. In reality all he could do was wait. A cold reboot took time and he wasn't even sure the aux schema hadn't been compromised. He pounded at the display as if that might make it work faster.

"Five seconds, Skipper" the co-pilot stated looking at his tactical exhibit.

"Screw this" the pilot whispered. Raven's commander fired the Hawk at almost point blank range. As soon as it was away he jolted into a downward dive. The projectile cut through the clouds like a knife and impacted with the second missile. "Splash one bogie." He said as he watched the object disappear from the display.

"Thank the Good Lord" the operations officer said under his breath.

"We'll celebrate later. We have to level off or well plunge right into the lake at mach 1" He added, but the merry making would never come. Despite the creative talents of the pilot their systems were still off line and the third rocket was in full pursuit. It had already closed and sent out its radionic pulse. Controls in the ship went haywire and a split second later the Radeon III Disrupter ripped through the starboard wing. Raven-One exploded in a ball of flames. What was left of it, spun downward and slammed into the cold waters of the Great Fish Pond. No one survived.

Brewster lowered the binoculars from his face as March slapped him on the shoulder in praise.

"Guess they should have sent that second plane, after all, eh Major?" Brewster asked with a smile.

**The Central Old United States – 15 Hours later**

Under normal circumstances Polk and his soldiers would have been celebrating. The successful assault on the staging area resulted in a mountain of scientific spoils. Not only that, but from a military standpoint, the operation, had been a brilliant maneuver. The apes suffered little to no losses while delivering a brutally surprising blow to the enemy. …_All_ enemies… He now had enough might to give the Imperiam a black eye and in one day he'd become more than a match for the hated humans. Yes, Polk had just found Aladdin's lamp. The problem was getting the genie to come out of its bottle.

The convoy stopped a day earlier. They'd been initially halted because of the horrifying sandstorm that just passed. The interference was wreaking havoc on the equipment's interfaces. But the circumstances hadn't quite worked out as the ape had hoped. The Imperiam wasn't going to sit by while their forward elements were ambushed. The news of Raven had tipped their hand. Cade was forced to deploy. If he hadn't he surely have been hung.

The hit on the Imperiam staging area was devastating but the Empire was certainly not out of resources. Wide range battlefield scans had detected a large number of simian bios located in the southeast. Polk and his apes had been taken by surprise and were now scrambling to mount some sort of tactical retreat. The ape had run out of time. His soldiers were plentiful, but technicians and scientists were in short supply. They still hadn't fully figured out how the captured equipment functioned. He'd already lost three tanks and five APCs. Several of his soldiers were dead or wounded as well.

The RS7s were of little concern. They'd already had enough exposure to their unique functionality. At least with those, they could punch back. It was the tanks, self-propelled artillery and the vast array of devices they'd stashed in the Carriers that were posing problems. The onboard computerized interfaces were extremely complex. Thanks to Brewster, the apes knew how to immobilize the Imperiam transponders but operating the bio-sensors, isometric imagers, refractive sensors, tactical software and the other paraphernalia was posing more problems than Polk wanted to admit. It had taken an enormous amount of time just getting the vehicles to move. But the chimp had no choice. Fight or die.

"They're coming about Sir. Looks like they're heading for the mechanized infantry support elements of the 197th. I'm picking up intermittent tank fire. They're advancing but it's a little choppy and irregular …only a few vehicles" a voice from the General's staff stated. He poked at the Isometric battle field display and updated the movement in real time. "…Sector 21 golf, Sir. They're Imperiam Dreadnaughts but giving off no frequency IDs"

"They're using mortars and smoke in an attempt to mask their advance" Another voice claimed. "Switching to infrared." The holographic display changed color as its internal filters adjusted the image to a perfect clarity.

General Tods eyeballed the 3-D exhibit. "We caught them with their pants down. They're not familiar enough with our tech. They're fumbling around like a bunch of cavemen who just dug up an e-pad. Give the order to fire those modified ADA cannons." he ordered. "Let's see how they react to an Electro Magnetic Pulse. Follow it up with HE rounds from 45th artillery support. I'm not going to play with these primitives. They want to see what Imperiam tech can do. Let's show 'em"

The V.V.L. radio operator sent the information to the frontline units. Moments later the EM wave rocketed forward disrupting the uneven simian advance.

Inside the lead vehicle, everything went black. Circuit boards, scanners and even propulsion was off line. The seasoned officer, in command, didn't hesitate. He gave the order to evacuate immediately.

"I'm not privy to spending the rest of my existence in a steel coffin." He said "Let's abandon this metallic grave"

Apes spilled out of the hunk of metal like water spouting out of a spring. They scattered for any type of concealment available. A few were hit by incoming small arms fire but most of them made it to an undersized hillside close by.

"Holy Crap" a Corporal cried as he watched his former vehicle along with several other go up in a ball of flame seconds later. "Their artillery is nothing like I've ever seen".

"What are our orders, Sir" and NCO asked the Lieutenant who'd just saved their necks from the incoming salvo.

Before the chimp could reply, more rounds impacted. Chunks of dried earth, rock and sand peppered the surrounding area. The officer had nothing to hold with except the apes crouched behind the midsized hill. His communications gear was not operating. He peered carefully over the hilltop and gazed through the binoculars around his neck. He paused for a second as his eyes adjusted. …Dust, smoke and the periodic flashes of rifle fire.

"We hold, as ordered." He said. "All we have to do is delay them temporarily". _We'll probably die doing it but what choice do we have?_ He added in thought only

Several paces back, Polk shouted as loudly as he could. Directing an organized withdrawal while under heavy fire wasn't an easy task. The ape had one slim chance. They'd passed through a valley about a mile and half back. If they could get their personnel and vehicles back through the pass, he could then fire into the landscape and cause an avalanche. It would stop the Imperiam advance …for the moment anyway. With any luck he'd be long gone before they punched through.

"First Sergeant Kamas" Polk stated as he patted the ape on the back. "Godspeed to you."

And with that the tactical retreat was underway. The First Sergeant and a few select units remained behind to slow the enemy advance while the apes pulled back in mass.

Kamas moved forward and fired indiscriminately towards the Imperiam advance. Polk could hear screams and explosions as he climbed into the vehicle and sped off. _Never let them see you sweat_, jumped into his mind as he gazed at the soldiers to his side.

**Imperiam Tactical Command Center … **

"Sir," the Tactical Direction Officer stated "The 197th reports enemy probing raids in sectors; India 3, Bravo 5, 6, and 9, and Charlie 8. They're using hit and run procedures"

"Why?" General Tods thought out loud. "That's suicide. …Wait. It's a rouse. They're stalling us while they pull back. But to where. There's no place they could hide. Except for a few scattered mounds and hills, the terrain is basically flat." The man expanded the battlefield 3-D display and scanned the territory further. He traced a finger across the rout where the moving bio-signatures were headed.

"There" he said sharply. "They're headed for that gulch. We'd be bottlenecked if we followed them in"

Tods tapped his V.V.L. "Colonel Lauds, I'm sending you tactical data. You're to send every available RS7 to these coordinates. Once the enemy enters that cavern, you're to fire at the hillside and bring it down on top of them."

He ended the transmission without waiting he contacted his artillery support. He provided the coordinates and ordered them to develop a firing solution immediately.

As the retreating apes entered the area a familiar buzz of artillery shells could be heard whistling through the air.

**Imperiam Military ADA, Sector 31-H**

"Welcome Sir" The Imperiam Air Defense commander stated with a brisk salute. "I'm sure you'll be pleased with what I'm about to show you. Although I'm not all that thrilled about you reconfiguring the EH Cannons and sending them out with Tods. As unlikely as it is, we're defenseless if we get hit by an air attack"

"Good to see you, General Kenswick" Cade replied ignoring the complaint. "I've read your reports. I can't stress enough how vital your role is. We don't have an air threat. And with the loss of equipment, those cannons give us the edge we need. However for now, these missiles are your concern."

"I understand, Sir" the chimp replied. "Why Lord Marcus ordered the advance before we fired is beyond me. If we fail to take out their Orbital Network we're through, Cade, but I'm going to question the Monarch. Those who do seem to have, _unfortunate,_ accidents."

"Senator Ghent" Cade huffed as he shook his head. "He should have never openly challenged Lord Marcus like that. And as for the sudden push to the East, after the raid on our staging area and the reports that Raven went down, his Excellency was ready for all of us to experience _unfortunate,_ accidents. You know how badly he wants this war. And this time the Senate is right there with him. I had no choice but to order an advance immediately."

The two officers continued their discussion as they walked into a large shielded room. In the corner, an isometric clock was counting backwards. _15:46…45…44_. There was a small buffet of food and beverages next to it. Several high-level government officials, military officers, and scientists were chatting away as they all stuff their faces and exchanged boring stories. The room came to a sudden stop as Cade walked in. He bellowed out a loud, '_as you were'_ and everyone took a seat. He gave a few words of thanks and encouragement and turned the discussion over to the new R and D commander.

Colonel Parks gave a quick briefing and fielded a few questions. Once that complete the man pressed a button and the shielding on the outer wall contracted, exposing the four launch pads off in the distance. Each pad housed a missile approximately twenty five feet in height.

"Please bear with me gentlemen; I'm adjusting the refractive shielding. We don't need anyone going blind" Parks said as he punched away at the interface. Once that was done he stood and spoke loudly. "Computer, recognize Parks, Timothy A, Commander, 578th Science Division

_Voice print match. Parks, Timothy A, recognized. _

"Please scan the launch area for any active bio signatures." Parks stated.

_Launch buffer is clear. There are no Bio-Signatures within five Kilometers. _

"Enable sonic scrambling on all four ballistics. Lock missile one on orbital platform 001, two on orbital platform 002, three on orbital platform 003, and missile four on orbital platform 004. Tie launch protocols within the Isometric Chronometer and fire all missiles when the count reaches zero.

The computer acknowledged and a few minutes later the count down reached zero. The area lit up with a bright light and the four missiles shot upwards and out of sight

"Gentlemen" Parks said "The birds are away. The ODN is about to take its place with the rest of the junk on this desolate rock."


	47. Chapter 47: On the March

**Mid Western Old United States**

"Come on! Move it …move it" The ape shouted in the chaos. He was directing the vehicles through the pass as quickly as he could. His nerves, on the other hand, were starting to fail. The incoming rounds were becoming less sporadic and much more precise. The effects from the last volley pelted his hide, warning him that staying put might not be in his best interest.

A vehicle spun by so quickly it nearly plowed him over. Just at that moment, a stray round struck the face of the peak. Large rocks and boulders fell like rain on the speeding convoy, withdrawing towards safety. Massive stones bounced off the hull of an armored tank, as a result of the ballistics from the Imperiam artillery. The plated tri-tanium moderately protected the vehicles as they raced through the ravine. They were designed to withstand a lot of punishment but the bombardment combined with the weight of the resulting avalanche was becoming too much.

The ape, directing the fleeing traffic, jumped as high and as far as he could. Orders or not, he wasn't about to say put and get crushed. His basic military instincts were screaming for him to seek cover, but the whole sky was dropping right on top of him. There was no cover. Instead, he sprinted into the desert as quickly as his four paws would carry him.

Polk's good fortune had run out. The Imperiam spotters had successfully bracketed their position. Command and control were breaking down as the incoming rounds hit their targets with a keen accuracy. Bodies were falling and apes were panicking. General Tods had also complicated things by deploying scatter mines in the barrage. That tactic sealed their fate.

They'd been delivered via aerial mid-range missiles used exactly for this type of operation. Once over the target they blanked the vicinity with their deadly ordinance. Their magnetic alloy reached out and attached to anything and everything metallic. The immense blasts that ensued tore the tracks off the retreating mechanized machines. As a result, the other armored transports bottlenecked. Some crashed while others flipped or simply exploded. Rocks and boulders did the rest, burying the apes alive in metal coffins.

The ensuing bombardment lasted for fifteen minutes. The temperature was like a blast furnace as the blaze from the vehicles super-heated the narrowly confined area. Eerie screams resonated from within as apes fruitlessly searched for any means of escape.

In the rear of the convoy soldiers spilled out of their wreaked heaps and took up positions to fight the impossible Imperiam assault that was in pursuit. Rifle fire and few shots from the stolen, but still functioning, mechanized vehicles hit random targets, but it was inconsequential. The Imperiam pursuers massed on the position and slaughtered nearly every ape in view. Most were burned beyond recognition as Incendiary Tanks scorched several hundred meters of open space. Secondary explosions from the burning equipment sent paraphernalia flying through the air in a frightening airborne inferno. The ones who escaped the flames were greeted with the pounding of hefty artillery shells complimented by automatic weapon's fire.

On the other side of the pass Polk watched as a vehicle exploded just opposite of his location. His driver turned the wheel slightly and … _Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping_ something had attached itself to their APC.

… It happened so fast in Major Polk's mind, that it seemed like one steady blur. His body left the floor of the truck and slammed upwards, propelled by several kilograms of the incoming explosive. The wind was knocked clear out of him and he gulped for air in an involuntary panic. Next, he was flung several feet through the air like an old rag doll. He felt the sting of a thousand tiny needles ripping at his hide.

A numbing discomfort shot through his body as he bounced off something firm and hard. Next the ape slammed into the hard rocky ground. His clothes and fur were covered in a coarse gritty blood. He rolled for what seemed like forever and his head hit the deck with a tremendous thump. The only thing that saved the Major's life was the Kevlar helmet strapped to his head. His vision was blurred and every part of his body felt irritated, itchy, or burnt. In a quick yet painful instance, his diaphragm expanded and his lungs finally took in some precious air. It was hot and dust ridden, but oxygen none the less.

Polk was lying flat. His mind signaled '_move_' but his body wasn't responding. The ache was too immense. And pain or not, this was very real and it quite serious. Doubts flashed through his head. _How can anyone stand up to this huge war machine? How could I have been so arrogant?_

The sounds of the exploding ordinance sent out a deafening echo. The only comfort it brought was the blanket of noise that muffled the cries of the wounded and dieing. Polk struggled to stand but a sharp twinge pierced through his entire body and everything suddenly went dark.

_I'm dying _was the last thing to bounce through his head.

** **Later ****

The mild stimulant from the hypodermic brought the ape Major out of his coma like state. It was just enough to wake him but left him feeling weak and fatigued. As his senses strained, he looked around. And the more he took in, the less he cared for what he saw.

_I've been captured_, registered in his brain. He noticed three other ape prisoners sitting opposite his position. He didn't recognize a single one but they all wore his uniform. Everyone, but him, was shackled in metallic bonds. However he was lying on a stretcher of some kind hooked up to machines like a marionette doll. The Major instinctively leaned forward but the throbbing pain was overwhelming. His head hit the back of the gurney with a mild thump.

"Take it easy, fella" A field doctor stated. "You're lucky to be alive. I didn't have time to clone any parts, but I was able to replace two major organs by taking them out of dead chimps on the battlefield. And that was no easy task. Most of your soldiers are scorched beyond recognition and the others … Well there isn't much left of them. You have an incision in your lower abdomen. The medical nanites are doing what they can to stabilize you, but I still have to process your synaptic immune responses or they won't accept your new organs. You're not going anywhere for quite awhile, but I need you conscious to complete the procedure."

Polk tried to reply but couldn't get the words out. He didn't have a clue as to what he'd just been told. All he understood was that his entire unit, except for him and three other apes, had been completely taken out.

The doctor turned to an officer in the room and made a comment about them all being _ready_.

The human officer looked at Polk and stated "Don't try to talk. The sedative is designed to keep you docile. I'm Lieutenant Hunt. That's Staff Sergeant Brock." He added pointing at the humungous gorilla holding the very sophisticated looking rifle.

He tapped an e-pad and began to read in a very scripted and formal tone. "According to the Royal Code of Military Conduct, you are now prisoners or war. As stated in the Articles of Procurement and Seizure, Section Four, Subsection A-Seventeen, you are all property of the Imperiam Monarch. Under Section Three, Paragraph two, the Empire does have the right to execute you as spies. You were captured in Imperiam vehicles, and though you weren't fully clothed in our uniforms, you were wearing enough of our gear to pass for Imperiam soldiers. We do however; invoke the Procurement Right of Declination, as permitted by his Excellency, Lord Marcus."

None of the simians comprehended a single work of the _legalese_ until the man finished with, "You will be spared execution and remain POWs"

**The Island **

_Raven-One may have been miraculously plucked out of the sky but it still accomplished much of its task. The converted weather array was now a mound of smoldering junk. Most of the area was one large crater. If it had been able to plot a second pass nothing would have been left. And if it had made a third, no one would have survived. _

_In a small way, that victory could be attributed to the two astronauts. Their pursuit of Price had forced the spy to transmit his data prematurely. As a result, the intelligence Raven received was incomplete. The strike was precise, but not as accurate as it could have been. _

_The Eastern portion of the old bunker had been destroyed. And though it was half buried in a mound of earth, one of the interface terminals, at the opposite end escaped harm. It was still functioning. Its power conduits and nuclear-cell interfaces were stable and on line. The issue was with the receiver. The neural receptors were fused and the connection ports had melted. It could send but would never receive. _

_Everything that was salvageable had been adapted for the mission. Sullen made it clear that getting a link, however possible, into the ODN was still the priority. Until he was convinced otherwise, they'd be working around the clock. _

_Brewster had successfully adapted some of the devices he'd brought with several of the ancient weather pieces that were still intact. In its present state, with the receptors off line, he'd made it clear that any signal sent would most likely last only sixty to ninety seconds. After that the feedback signal would overload the system. However, if he was confident that if he had enough time, he'd be able to make things work. Of course, time seemed to be ticking just a little too quickly. _

_"__Colonel, you need to hear this" Grazot said shouting to the man._

_Brewster huffed as the sudden interruption cause him to drop the small tool he was holding. It, along with the circuit he was fusing bounced off his thigh and hit the ground. Luckily neither was damaged. The man gave a few instructions to the skeleton crew he was working with. Once that was done he climbed up the makeshift ladder leading out of the crater and back to level ground. _

_"__Ok, what's the big emergency?" he asked. _

_March waved a hand, signaling for the man to stay quiet, pointing at the V.V.L. _

_…__three hours and twenty six minutes__… the man in New Washington claimed. __That's the estimate on the first bird, anyway. The other platforms will be in range about twenty to thirty minutes after that__._

_"__Roger Washington", March replied. "We're doing everything we can. Colonel Brewster is here now. Stand by, while I get an update, over." _

_March quickly explained that New Washington had picked up several fast moving objects leaving the atmosphere and heading towards the network satellites in orbit. They were desperate to see if the Island interface had been established._

_"__This is Brewster; please stand, I'll be with you shortly." The Colonel said talking into V.V.L. He adjusted a few buttons and an Isometric interface appeared. From there he started typing and swiping between holographic panels. _

_"__Don't be alarmed. You'll notice that your processors are establishing an encrypted link" he said tapping at the screen. The encryption was to keep DC out but he kept that information to himself. "I'm plugging into your database directly. It's a lot faster than you explaining and it will provide me with the real-time information I need." _

_You're what? …How are you able to…? __… The man in old DC started to ask. _

_Brewster meant no harm, but he was egotistical and controlling in theses matters. Besides it was much faster and for __the Best__. At least that's how his brain justified his actions. _

_"__Don't sweat it son." The Doctor replied, cutting him short. "Our uplink here won't be ready in three hours or three days, but I have an idea and I need precise data. So please, stay quiet for a minute and keep the link open. This is a delicate process…"_

_The awkward silence only lasted for a few minutes and was broken by the phrase "Bingo". _

_"__Washington," Brewster stated plainly "You now have an additional sixteen hours. I accessed the ionic receiver controls and also interfaced with the navigation protocols. I've altered the ODN's orbital path."_

_You did what? __The man at the other end asked rhetorically. __What gives you the right or the authority to make a unilateral decision like that with our military equipment? __There was a small pause while the man in DC desperately tried to undo whatever Brewster had just done and then … __They're out of range and not responding. You've left us defenseless__…_

_"__Relax." Brewster blurted out. "They're not responding because I initiated a reflective dampening pulse. It will slow the missiles down and confuse them as they try and reestablish a lock. But those are Sagittarius Mark V nuclear warheads. They may be somewhat crude according to Imperiam standards but trust me when I say that they're sophisticated enough to take down your entire orbital network. I didn't leave you defenseless. In fact, I just saved the only tactical advantage you backwoods pack of barbarians possess. …so you're welcome"_

_The Doctor irritably tossed the small device back to March and walked off mumbling something about calculations he had to make and how he was surrounded by involutes. He tried to shove his way through a couple of gorilla soldiers but he would have had better luck trying to push over an oak tree. They chuckled and grinned sarcastically as he finally gave up and went around the two simians._

_"__Captain", he shouted back a Hayes. "Come with me. This will go faster if I have your help"_

_"__Go on Jonny" March said. "He's rough around the edges and arrogant as all get out, but he hasn't let us down yet. And he's just as sharp as you are. If he has an idea, we need to validate it."_

_Seconds later Hayes caught up to the Colonel. "Hank" the man said. "What's going on in that head of yours? I've seen that look before. You had a similar expression when we hit that communications center. Something has you worried"_

_"__I have an idea, Jon. But we have to be exact and the timing is essential." The Imperiam officer replied. "And frankly I don't know if I can pull it off with just __sticks and stones__. Back in the Empire I had the tools I needed…the tools I was comfortable with. Here I'm limited to, __muskets ….and relics,__ as this collection of prenatal Neanderthals calls them. Out dated antiques is a more appropriate term."_

_Hayes smirked. The same thought had crossed his mind on occasion. "Look Doc, I can totally relate. But we're both a couple of old soldiers. We don't let circumstances dictate the terms. We adapt and we overcome. We can figure this out."_

_Brewster had heard that same speech a hundred times in his career. Everyone thought they were unbeatable. Some even refused to give the idea up even after defeat. However, optimism and confidence, if channeled correctly were powerful instruments. _

_"__Ok Captain," he said with a nod. "If I remember my history correctly, the term is…__God save the queen__"_

_Hayes didn't bother to explain that America had no Monarch, but the situation was too critical and frankly, he got the man's point. _

_"__Alright Hank" he replied. "Let's hear it. What's on your mind?"_

_Brewster handed the astronaut a pad containing calculations and choppy notes. They were nothing complex. Hayes looked them over and before he said anything the Colonel explained his plan. "I think there's a chance I can use some of the equipment I brought and interface with what's left of that old Canadian junk …Here let me see that for a second." _

_Hayes handed the man the e-pad and Brewster brought up a 3-D image of his idea. "This is what I got from the Washington Mainframe. There is a mixture of fifty two different types of satellites in orbit, a dozen or so are defensive like this ODN. The others however are communication related; weather satellites, communication relays, orbital observation devices, etc. If I can just get the calculations correctly and refine the confinement, I believe that I can send out a signal, bounce it off the other orbital objects send a __message__, so to speak, to the Sagittarius missiles."_

_"__A message; what kind of a message?" Hayes asked. _

_"__If I can get the telemetry correct, I can piggy-back of a few of the satellites." The man explained. "From there I can send a binary pulse to the warheads. I got the idea from the workings of those SAMs we configured. And I copied the software protocols"_

_"__You think you can scramble their guidance software?" Hayes inquired curiously._

_"__Better than that, my dear Captain" The Colonel said holding up his e-pad and wagging it slightly. "I think I can reverse it and send those birds right back to their nest. But I need your help, so here's what I need you to do."_

_**Sigma Twelve**_

_St. James' blood pressure rose as he listened to the current situation report coming in from New Washington. The equipment was old and took days to fully charge. He'd intentionally given Sullen their aged tarnished communication apparatus in an attempt to keep the balance of power in his favor. But that decision was now biting him right in his five-star rear. _

_Plus, instead of a routine update, all hell was breaking loose. He was hundreds of miles away without any means of direct intervention or control. The human General ranted and griped over the Imperiam infringement of his military property, by Brewster. But that subsided when the RTO at the opposite end gave him something more pressing to fret about. _

_…__He may have hacked the Mainframe, Sir. And I don't know how he did it; but he resolved some of the software encryption issues Captain White's team was having with the tactical observation protocols. And we can thank God for it too. Not only has he thrown those orbital nukes of, but long range shadowing is now online. We're tracking troop movements on multiple fronts. They're heading towards every major settlement we have. That includes the apes to our west and your position too, Sir. _

_"__You tell Colonel Childs he's to initiate __Operation Ringworm__ ASAP. He's to get spotters deployed immediately. We may not have the ODN, but Washington has a goldmine of ancient technology and thank the Good Lord above we've been exploiting that fact for almost a year. You'll be able to hold your own. And when it does come back into our control, you're authorized to take those bastards out" St James ordered. _

_The man at the other end confirmed and St James went on. "Send delegates and support units to the Territorial ape cities that are adjacent to our boarders. Lend any support you can. Bring any food and medical supplies we can spare. That should ease any mistrust they might have. You're also to refortify our inner cities. If they break through they'll trample over us like a stampede of longhorns. Everyone is on full tactical alert."_

_The energy reserves went from green to yellow and then quickly to red. Seconds later the device shut down. The General cussed under his breath but was grateful he'd been able to relay what he did. His only irritation stemmed from the fact that he'd been unable to ask just how far out the approaching elements were. …days…weeks…hours? It was all speculation now. Nate Childs was a competent officer and seasoned combatant. He'd know how to proceed back in New Washington. For the moment he'd have to, St James had his own problems to deal with._

_The General left the small communications area and approached his ape counterpart in the adjacent room. He lit a cigar and said, "It's about to hit the fan, Colonel. They're coming." _

_**** Thirteen hours later – The Banned Territories ****_

_"__Sir, we've got company." The Imperiam combatant reported. "Up on that ridge, about four Klicks away; at our 1 o'clock. They're not any of those amalgamated freaks we've encountered in the ruins either. I'm picking a vehicle or two, as well as, electronic signals. They're packing some high-tech gear too."_

_The advancing armor platoon halted as the Lieutenant in command received the word on the enemy bio-signs._

_"__Tell me what I'm dealing with Sergeant" the man ordered._

_"__My guess is they're a recon element of some kind, Sir, Eight simians; all of whom are gorillas." The NCO replied "Three humans…" he paused as he confirmed the readings. His face had a puzzled look but he reported it anyway "…Two male and …a female. Hmm, maybe she's a servant or some officer's concubine. But anyway, LT. That's what we've got. They're spread across an eight hundred meter area." _

_The Lieutenant commanding the point section V.V.L'd his finding to his superior in the rear of the advancement. He acknowledged the reply and said. "Command wants prisoners. They're curious as to how the enemy knows were here." _

_Moments later two flanking units, all on foot, began fanning out towards the enemy combatants. _

_On the ridge, the forward most security section sent word back to their commander. Corporal Arden jumped into a tree and bound back towards his Group Captain. A minute or so later he dropped to the ground, answered the challenge and reply, and went into the command area. _

_"__They're moving, Sir" he reported. "I don't know how, but it looks like they know we're here. They came to a full stop just about four Klicks from our position. Two full squads of soldiers are circling to our rear. There's more Group Captain. They have mechanized relics …and a lot of them. If we stay put they'll roll over us without breaking a sweat"_

_"__How many are there, Corporal?" The human officer asked._

_The gorilla cringed a little before he answered. These humans spooked him. But he hid it as best as he could and said. "At least a hundred and they have ground support and some very odd looking …well they look like cannons off some sort." _

_The officer nodded and scribbled something down. He then turned to the female NCO and said. "We have our orders. Eckert, I'm sending you back now. They have to know what they're dealing with. We'll break down camp here and meet up with you shortly"_

_The woman hopped in one of the old mechanized carriages and headed back towards Sigma Twelve as she'd been ordered. The human Lieutenant turned to the gorilla Group Captain and said "We probably don't have a lot of time. We should …"_

_"__You're right, Lieutenant. Time is short." The ape answered. "But we're not leaving."_

_The man began to argue but the Special Group commander explained that a situation like this was exactly what he'd trained for. In fact, he'd been preparing his apes for a conflict ever since they'd arrived. He went on to make it clear that every second they slowed the advanced element down was another second the soldiers in Sigma Twelve had to prepare._

_"__Superior firepower is not the only thing that wins on the battleground, human" The gorilla stated. "Tactics and taking advantage of what's around you can turn the tide in any conflict"_

_The human officer was struggling for a strand of wisdom that might help settle his double-minded thinking. It didn't help that Private Louperski was looking at him with heightened anxiety. Staying put was a recipe for death, but tucking his tail between his legs and bugging out just didn't seem right; even if they were only apes. _

_Never let them see you sweat__ jumped into his head. An old mentor from years back had given him that advice when he'd first become an officer. Lieutenant Theodore Cloud took in a deep breath and made his decision._

_"__Weapons hot, __Looper__" The man said, referring to Private Louperski's nickname, in an attempt to ease the tension. "We're staying put"._

_Looper, a young muscular male, about the age of nineteen nodded and began preparing. He'd seen combat but never at this level. Yet Cloud's confident bluff was steadying his nerves. _

_As if he'd received a new vigor, Lieutenant Cloud, turned to the Group Captain and said "Ok, this is your backyard and you hold the highest rank, so you lead and we'll follow. But I don't know how muskets and knives are going to stop and advancing horde of mechanized relics."_

_The gorilla smiled and simply said' "Just watch. And keep those fancy repeaters of yours close by." _

_"__Look, I don't know what were dealing with" the man replied, "But if you want to rely on tactics. I have something that might help. From the reports I've read, they're an integrated society; apes fighting along side with humans. We've been killing…uh …fighting… apes since we were knee high to a grasshopper. They're big, they're fast, and they're strong. But one bullet in the knee and they'll drop like gutted pig. We humans are more, uh delicate. You can pretty much shoot us anywhere and we'll drop too." _

_Just about that time distant rifle fire echoed through their ears. _

_"__That's musket fire" Corporal Arden stated. _

_"__Ok" the Group Captain stated looking at a couple of gorillas. "We all know what to do." Take to the trees. The rest of you get into position. The call sign is; __Mushroom__"_

_He turned to the two men. "You're going to come with me." He said to Louperski. "I'll take the right and you cover our left. …Just follow my lead. Lieutenant, you and Arden take the opposite side. …Now listen up and this is critical. You engage and withdraw. We bait them in. As you retreat, you're to yell __mushroom__. You got that? You're going to be eternally sorry if you don't."_

_They moved out in opposite directions, through the rocky terrain, bounding from stump, to boulder, and any half standing plant or structure that provided cover. Louperski could feel his heart pounding with every step. He could usually bull-dog his way though any clash, but that wouldn't work here. _

_It didn't take long for the firefights to start. The Imperiam infantry carried mobile combat bio devices. They knew the two groups were approaching before they'd ever left camp. Corporal Arden learned that fact the hard way. A round impacted square in his chest and almost cut the large simian in two. Lieutenant Clouds mind screamed; __smoke,__ as he unconsciously pulled the container lose and tossed it to his front. Rounds slammed into the old husky tree trunk he was behind as he ran back towards the base camp, yelling mushroom. When he arrived he felt a large furry paw come out of nowhere and grab him. It pulled him clear out of sight._

_The situation with Louperski and the Group Captain was similar. The advancing Imperiam infantry sprayed small arms fire in the direction of the multiple Bios they were tracking. Closer they came; hurdling forward in smaller elements. A few would move while the others fired. Eventually they reached the site._

_"__I don't get it." the Imperiam chimp soldier said. "According to the instruments they're right in front of …"_

_Apes from the Special Group fired from the trees as others popped up from buried fighting positions in the ground. A three hundred and sixty degree barrage of musket and semi automatic fire fanned out. The Imperiam units were caught off guard and most died on the spot. The simians in the foliage above killed any soldiers who were lucky enough to escape the initial trap. _

_When it was over, Lieutenant Cloud couldn't believe he'd lived through it. However, unfortunately for him, his luck had run dry. The Command and Control center guiding the infantry, reported up the chain that all friend bios were now in the red. The Imperiam Commander, a Kilometer or so, away gave the order to wipe out every enemy bio signature in the immediate area. The whistling artillery and mid range missile attack saturated the area with such fury that when it was finally lifted, the only thing left was a smoking hole. _

_The bulky war machine gave one final scan of the area ahead and moved forward. _

_**Imperiam Air Defense **_**– Forward Base Zulu**

_It had taken some doing but Doctor _Chapman had reestablished control with one of the missiles. Brewster's encryptions were extremely complex and he'd added a rotating shift that had made it next to impossible to crack, but Chapman had finally figured out the algorithm. He'd also isolated the frequency and pierced the dampening field on one of the platforms. It had taken half a day, but part of their problem was now resolved.

"Ok General" The man said "The reboot is complete and I have lock on the closest target. You can see it there." The huge colorful 3-D exhibit displayed everything in pictorial detail.

"How long, Chapman?" Cade asked. The gorilla had no idea just how lucky he'd gotten. But he didn't much care either. His demeanor was more of a, _what have you done for me lately_, than one to give accolades.

The doctor replied that impact was less than thirty minutes away. Cade, immediately ordered him to start the same procedure on the next warhead. Chapman was fatigued and hungry but simply gave a nod. He lied about letting some calculations run first and closed his eyes to rest.

The man awoke to a hard slap on the shoulder. It was Cade. He was babbling something about _success_. Chapman raised his weary head. He'd done it! He'd actually done it. The nuclear missile had taken out its target.

But before the two could celebrate, the isometric display flashed and the three remaining blips slowly changed course.

"What's going on Chapman?" Cade asked as the smile quickly faded from his face.

The scientist paused as he confirmed his thoughts. He punched in some real calculations this time and he didn't much care for the results.

"The missiles General", he said in a panic, "They've reversed course …They're heading right towards us"

Cade almost collapsed as he realized what that meant. "Good gosh!" he exclaimed. "I refitted the EH Cannons and sent them out with Tods. We have no ADA in the entire Kingdom. We're completely defenseless."


	48. Chapter 48: Check and Mate

**Eastern Continent – Old United States **

In a six month span, Imperiam outposts and forward A.O.s had been hit and raided in a random, yet semi-effective fashion. The most significant loss was from the chemical attack Major Polk conducted several weeks earlier. That delayed part of their initial invasion plans but it also accelerated other considered operations. With their areal prototype gone and the loss of a moderate number of personnel and equipment, they'd been forced into action. Now the hornets were stirred up and leaving the nest.

Once the nuclear missiles were lunched at the ODN, Emperor Marcus had ordered a full scale push. Several Tactical Divisions were moving to both the North and to the East. The initial deployment rolled out without a hitch. It's what the Imperiam did. The nation was brutal and constantly seeking war. After their unexpected arrival on this barren rock, it had been an internal civil conflict. Now it was external. The words to the song might be different, but the tune was still the same.

The full force of the Imperiam war machine traversed the barren continent in what seemed like the blink of an eye. They also demolished several of the old half-standing ancient cities in their path. Some were barren; others were housed with mutated anomalies. The Kingdom's only rule of engagement was just that; 'engage' and flatten. There was no Geneva Convention in this era and a strict protocol regarding formalized combat was all too clear. Any equipment, supplies, or soldiers who were captured were immediately absorbed into the Empire; Chattel to be used however they pleased.

Their armies stretched across the expanse like mechanized locust. They'd established a moderate supply route, but most of the logistics were moving forward, in support of the rapidly advancing front line units. Two Divisions totaling approximately forty five thousand soldiers were being held in reserve in the small chance that reinforcements were necessary.

Up to this point the Imperiam had lost less than two fifty to three hundred of their militia. Another one third, were wounded. Those who could fight were kept at the front. Those who were fatally wounded were treated, in order of importance and, only as time permitted. And those who weren't, but couldn't fight, were assigned support duties in the rear. However those statistics changed once the two capital cities in the area were attacked.

The majority of their Armor and Infantry hit Ceasera while a small contingent of mechanized units harassed DC. Washington was the real target but Ceasera needed to be dealt with first. General Tods had deployed just enough troops to keep the ancient human capital occupied while he crushed the apes in the southern kingdom. Without their factories they couldn't wage war and thus became no threat to the Empire.

**The Ape Capital of ****Ceasera **

The metropolis was larger than the commanding General realized and the majority of its automated industrial buildings sat deep within the city. Given their history, that made sense, but it also meant more of a direct confrontation. Some of the destruction had stalled the Imperiam advance as most of the ape capital was in utter ruin. Tods had hoped to take some of it in tact but the majority of the enemy units were in a tactical retreat and employing a scorched earth policy as they left. A moderate defensive line had formed in the cities last standing civilian district. Snipers were picking off Imperiam leadership in an attempt to slow the advance just enough so the main body could withdraw. Not only that, they'd sent up a series of booby-traps and obstacles. Thus Tods was left with only once course of action.

Imperiam rockets ripped through the sky and struck the tall stone building with a loud crash. Secondary explosions shattered the top three floors and gravity took care of the rest. Rubble and debris fell to the ground and buried the troops and equipment below, without prejudice. As if to add insult to injury another volley connected with several adjacent targets. Thick white clouds of smoke and large orange, blackish balls of fire rose higher into the mid afternoon sky. When it was over, only a handful of Alliance troops remained.

An ape soldier, Private Detres, stood in shock. He was covered from head to toe in a thick dust and looked like a pale gray ghost. His heart was pounding so rapidly he felt as if he was going to go into cardiac arrest. It was a miracle, he mumbled in disbelief. The ape was surrounded by total ruin and had escaped without, so much as, a scratch. Just to his left he saw the remains of an unfortunate soul who was half buried in stone. If he's been standing anywhere else he would have suffered the same fate.

Smack "I gave you an order, Private" The voice stated. The NCO's open paw connected with the back of Detres' protective head-gear. The young soldier was in so much distress he hardly noticed the stern blow. It did, however, pull the ape out of his half dazed stupor.

The chimp blinked and coughed out a monotone "Huh? What's that Sarge?"

"Blast it, Detres" the ape Sergeant replied. "Grab the radio pack and bring it to the human."

As if his ears had popped from yawning at a high altitude, a rush of noise filled the ape's head; Mechanized vehicles, the screams all around, and the distant but not so distant irregular explosions. He took in more of the scene as the reality of the circumstances smacked him in a somewhat different, yet more effective, manner.

"Now Detres," the ape non-com yelled. This time he shoved the primate forward with his a stern thrust. "Those tracked relics will be on top of us any minute."

A human female, who was missing part of her right leg and bleeding from her side, was staring at him, waiting for him to act. An ape medic was doing his best to tend to the wounds but the area was ridden with grime and she'd lost a tremendous amount of blood. Detres touched the receiver on his chest and adjusted the small com pouch at his side. He glanced at the NCO who was still yelling and flapping around like wild animal.

"Ok …uh right…Here you go." he said handing the receiver to the female with a shaking paw.

She pulled the wireless device close to her mouth and coughed out "Delta Charlie, Delta Charlie, this is Whiskey one-one, Fire Mission. Tanks in the open, grid coordinates two three four eight … zero six four seven. Fire for effect. I saw again; fire for effect. I authenticate Golf India Romeo Seven. Whiskey one-one, out"

As if it had been scripted for a movie, the woman finished the sentence, passed out, and let the mic roll off her palm and onto the ground. Almost immediately the piece answered back with; "Whiskey one-one, this is Delta Charlie. Golf India Romeo Seven, acknowledged. Keep your heads down. Birds are away. Delta Charlie, out".

The small group of survivors began to pull back, but it was futile. The Imperiam armor units were already on top of their position and firing indiscriminately. A mound of stone several meters away erupted as the shell from the Imperiam vehicle connected with its base. The gorilla NCO emptied his rifle into several soldiers who sprang up suddenly. The infantry support elements were climbing the debris like cockroaches. Despite the Sergeant's efforts, he was finished off long before the drones from New Washington ever touched down. However, the advancing units didn't have time to celebrate their small victory, either. In a flash, the ancient American armaments vaporized several square meters of Ceasera leaving nothing but a smoldering crater.

**New Washington**

The area was blustering with activity. Refugees and the wounded were scattered everywhere. The dead were being stripped of equipment and tossed aside like yesterday's trash. Crews were on the roads preparing traps and defenses. The fires from Ceasera flickered off the clouds in colorful display of luminosity. Sporadic gun shots and the distant sounds of battle echoed throughout the cool afternoon air. Officers and NCOs were directing soldiers, traffic and equipment in every route possible. Buildings were being stripped of power cubes and anything else that could help energize the ancient relics. It was chaos, but a semi organized one.

Ceasera was all but finished. However New Washington was holding its own. Initially Colonel Childs, commanding the Human Coalition, moved south into the ape capital with whatever they could carry and brought several of the refurbished relics with him. They linked up with Colonel Eli, the commanding Territorial ape officer and dug in tight. When it was apparent the city was doomed, they'd tactically withdrawn to DC. Thanks to sound tactics, a majority of troops and equipment had survived the trip.

Colonel Eli didn't like tucking his tail between his legs and running but having that tail shot to bits was even less appealing. The enemy was attacking in mass with superior technology and in greater numbers. Ceasera was ill prepared but, for now the New Washington defenses, were standing firm. St James had spent the last year making the city a fortress. The old human capital was a treasure trove of ancient tech and the General had made darn sure all of it was exploited. They'd torn the city apart and refurbished, recycled, and rebuilt anything of military value.

The Imperiam intelligence reports on the ancient human capital had been grossly inaccurate. No surprise there. When Imperiam Intelligence provided information, it wasn't the wisest choice to question it. They could say just about anything and it was taken at face value. Most of them were in Cade's back pocket and the ape General always told his sovereign exactly what he wanted to hear.

In this reality, history had taken a different course. The Imperiam had ever formed. North America and most of Europe had survived the centuries of war and bloodshed. Thus, some of the DC tech rivaled that of the Empire. And the technology that didn't was still dangerous enough to be taken seriously. The Imperiam were learning that fact the hard way. Their frontal assault was initially, and surprisingly, stalled. In fact, the Alliance attempted to muster a counter-offensive of their own. But it was beginning to buckle. Tods was regrouping and had pivoted his remaining forces north. Caesarea could now be crushed with a skeleton force. Its major defenses …all of its defenses …were literally nonexistent. Washington was the real key. It was the last line of defense or hope the two southern nations possessed. Once it fell, the remaining settlements could be swept aside with ease. But getting it to fall wasn't an easy task.

The Imperiam had been hit with some very sophisticated ballistics, but the EH Cannons were beginning to take them down. They also stopped the few mechanized vehicles Child's had sent forward. And it was ultimately disrupting their communications. But that came with a cost too. This segregated human nation was resilient. They were all seasoned combatants and as long as they could fight on, they did. As a result, one of the cannons was nothing more than a heap of scrap; one destroyed relic among the many. A second was, still functional, but damaged nonetheless. It could fire, but the tracked vehicle pulling it was out of commission. Despite the setback, the new portable Cannons had made a real difference. Thank God Cade understood tactics, Tods surmised. Without the EH Guns, they would have surely lost ten times the amount of men and apes. But still, it hadn't been the cake-walk he'd expected. Causalities were mounting and he was already eighteen hours behind schedule.

** Imperiam Mobile Command

The Imperiam General gazed at the isometric holo-display. He felt slightly fatigued as he and his staff planned for yet another offensive operation, without a rest. The man hadn't slept in over seventy two hours and it didn't look like he'd be getting any rest in the immediate future either. The Empire possessed superior numbers and equipment but they were just as 'human' as the enemy. Their soldiers got hungry, tired, and burned-out, like anyone else. That was costly. Tired soldiers made mistakes. And when mistakes were made in combat, people died and battles were lost.

The good news was; morale was relatively high, despite the rise in causalities. They'd already started rotating things to fifty percent security. An alternating schedule, where half the soldiers rested, while the other half took up the slack. The Science Corps were administering 'MH Stims', short for; Medically Induced Hyper Stimulants.

Tods put the small pill under his tongue. It gave off a slight cooling tingle and he immediately felt a renewed vigor course through his body. He gathered his staff and spoke. "As of now, the Territorial ape cities of Devoir and Ceasera have been overrun. But we have a long way to go. The human nation we fight has machinery we must take seriously. The 56th can attest to that personally. Colonel Hune, redeploy the Cannon's one and four here" he added pointing at the 3D image. "If it isn't being done, get a maintenance detail on EH two. I want it back in the fight within the hour."

"They're working on it now, Sir. Estimates are at least three hours though. The density converters are down too. They took a hit in the last shelling. Until they're up we can't modify the EH Cannon's mass enough to risk movement." The officer replied.

"Ok" Tods stated hiding his irritation. "Tell Maintenance they have their three hours, but they'd better be ready after that or I'll personally shoot Major Chartist, myself." An idle threat, but it got the point across.

The man tapped his display and the image changed. "I've divided the terrain into three sectors. Artillery is probing their defenses now. At 0430 a tactical engineering unit, in enemy uniforms, entered the city here. Once I get word they've completed their mission, here's what I've planed. The 56th Armor BN will spearhead the push here; right at their center. Elements of the 181st and 23rd ID will support the assault. Intelligence reports that the ODN mainframe is house in this area here, about two Kilometers inland and its deep underground. If I'm right they'll pull the elements west here to re-support. They're protected to the east by the terrain but their opposite flank will be vulnerable. It would be too costly for us to hit from there now. But when they reinforce their front lines, the two divisions in reserve will pour in from the west and sweep eastward. By the time they realize and attempt to regroup we'll have them by their rear-ends"

The General briefed the remainder of his plan for the next several minutes. As he was about to conclude, the Command Channel V.V.L. flashed.

"Delta Two ... Delta Two" screeched across the voice link. A small 3-D image of a human male appeared.

"Go ahead; this is Delta- Two, report" Tods said looking at the image

"Delta Two, this is Black Eagle. Foundation laid." The holographic representation reported. "I say again; Foundation laid. Black Eagle, out"

With that, the image faded into colorful static.

Good news indeed. 'Foundation Laid' was the code phrase meaning that the dampening fields were in place. Tods had no way of knowing if Cade had successfully taken out the orbital missile platform; although it hadn't been used yet. Still, he couldn't chance it.

For the past few days New Eden V.V.L had been nothing but stagnated static. As an extra precaution a small squad of tactical engineers was dispatched. Dampening equipment had established an invisible blanket over all of New Washington. Any and all wireless signals were now being scattered. The result; their mainframe was locked out of communications with the ODN. Tods could now move forward at any time in relative freedom. He still had the conventional arms to contend with but at least the threat from above was now neutralized.

"Gentlemen" The General shouted "V.V.L. the local commanders. Operation Rip Tide is a go"

** Human Coalition - Tactical Communications Control Center

_In an underground complex, the lights flickered and all workstation interfaces suddenly froze. A human male slammed his fist so hard into the Holo Equipment he thought he'd broken it. That resulted in a few colorful metaphors that were bellowed throughout the room. He abruptly stopped as his frustrations caused him to take pause and notice that everyone was now staring straight at him. _

_"__We're down, Karen. I just lost the target lock" the officer articulated in aggravation towards Captain White. "I've lost all imaging and my interfaces are frozen. We need to tell Command that ODN targeting is compromised"_

_"__I'm locked out too, Sir" one of the operators stated. "All signals are bouncing back. It's bad enough we lost a Network Satellite a few days ago, but now we've as blind as a bat."_

_"__What about you Karen?' The man asked the female office. Of course he knew the answer already but asked the question anyway._

_Captain White tapped away at some of the interfaces. It was a futile effort but seemed like the thing to do in a situation like this. Next she attempted to use the vocal input. Before she finished, her irritated partner, who'd finally gained a bit of self-control, exercised his personal initiative._

_"__Sanchez" he ordered sharply. "It looks like we're going to do this the old fashion way. Run your butt up to command and let them know what's going on. It's imperative they're informed immediately and my guess is that whoever's out there is going to make a move sooner than later."_

_The man acknowledged the order and left the room in a hurry._

_The officer in command looked at the few men and women, in the compound, and gave one final order. "Looks like some of the internal communication and local terminals are still responding. Lock us down as soon as Sanchez is out. If they get into New Washington, they'll be coming for us next." _

_As Corporal Sanchez reached the command post he realized that his leadership had come to the same conclusions. The ape commander was conversing with Colonel Childs over their current dilemma. For a split second Sanchez felt the urge to raise his rifle and take the beast down. He still had vivid memories of the raids on his settlement that these animals conducted countless times. But he quickly brushed that thought aside as his attention got caught in the discussion at hand. _

_"…__We have to get spotters out there now?" Eli demanded. "This interference doesn't seem to be affecting your smaller and more ancient communication artifacts. An uninterrupted line of contact has to be established or we'll lose all command and control just like we did in Ceasera. We need to concentrate on that wireless EMP artillery guns they have. Whatever those are they're the key. We won't last five minutes with those things disrupting the relics" _

_Childs didn't care to be taking orders from an ape. The simian Colonel had yet to warm up to the help he'd offered. But on the other hand he'd witnessed his capital fall for the second time in less than twelve months and that had to be degrading. And they both knew that if something drastic didn't happen New Washington was next. Just before communications had dropped off, he'd already been informed that the forward DC elements had hit a stalemate._

_Childs put his simian prejudice aside for the moment. The tactic Eli just suggested was sound. They needed eyes on the ground and a way to take out the enemy's main strategic advantage, and they needed it ASAP._

_"__You're right, Colonel, I agree …Major…" Childs said turning to one of the officers "Have the 142__nd__ muster. Get spotters out there and bring our standard guns online. They're old and worn but they can still deliver a world of hurt. Have Strickland ready the remaining drones and see if any of the short range ballistics are ready. They're self guided with refractive shielding so maybe they'll function regardless. We haven't had a chance to test them but this is as good a time as any."_

_He paused and turned to Eli. "We need to send a runner with com equipment as far north as he can go. Maybe he can get outside this blanket of interference that's effecting the equipment long enough to get a message to the northern Apes. …One of them was able to hack into the ODN from that island. At the time I wanted to choke the man, but he's our only choice now. We let them advance as we pull back and bring down the house on them"_

_Eli looked at the man and paused. "This city and all its relics would be destroyed. Are you prepared to obliterate it?"_

_It was bold move given the fact that Childs had spared Ceasera from a similar fate. The ODN could have been used on the ape capital but it would have killed everyone on both sides. Now that looked like a great plan, but at the time it seemed foolish. He hoped he wasn't making the same mistake._

_"__Washington is very big. Hopefully it won't come to that. If we can get them centralized, the ODN will do the rest" Childs stated firmly. _

_The discussion fell short as distant explosions shook the ground. The handheld com device at Childs' side suddenly went live. _

_"__Command, this is OP-Three. Incoming aerial rocket attacks and a massive armored force is approaching, they're almost on top of us. The automated air defense systems are off-line. We're …" – The line went silent except for the hum of static._

_But that wasn't the __only problem they had. Corporal Sanchez flinched as the bullet wisped past his ear. The soldier instinctively went prone and it saved his life as several other slugs made there way though the space he was just occupying. A few poor souls on the inside took the rounds meant for him. _

_Sanchez rolled on his back and fired blindly. He mentally noted that he'd hit someone. More were coming so he kept firing. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat… click, click, click … He was out. _

_The man felt a tug and was jolted backwards. He turned to see the Ape, he thought of shooting earlier, pulling him to safety. _

_"__My life can finally end" he stated. "A Monkey saving my life... I've just seen it all" _

_Childs ignored the joke. Instead he shoved a small radio in his chest and babbled something about getting out of the city and to the high ground in the north. "… The frequency is set, code name 'red wolf'. Tell them what's going on and give the authority to fire the ODN, again the authorization code name is, 'red wolf'. Now go"_

_The Human Colonel shoved the Corporal out the other end of the CP as bodies spilled in, from the front. Each one was donned in a Coalition uniform. The tactical unit Tods deployed was reeking havoc and they'd just reached their secondary target; The Human Coalition TOC. Gun fire from both sides erupted. _

_Without hesitating, Sanchez bolted off and didn't wait around to see who won. A blast shook the ground slightly but the human Corporal kept moving, climbing and crawling. He had one thought in his head. And that was to get to a point where he could contact the Northern Ape tribe. He kept mumbling the word 'red wolf' over and over. _

_**The Forest Region, the day before – North of the Argos Net **_

_"__That buys us some time, at least" the human Master Sergeant stated. He stooped over and coughed as the smoldering white blur from the flames drifted in his direction. His eyes watered from the annoyance caused by the thickening smoke. He ignored the irritation and ripped off a small piece of his uniform. He had a more pressing issue to address; the small wound on his forearm. The bullet barely hit but did enough damage to cause some minor grief. _

_"__I've never seen that much vegetation in my life." He added. "I hated to do it, but if we hadn't set it on fire, we'd all be dead."_

_"__We're as good as dead in spite of it" One of the young foot-apes stated in pessimism. "It's a good two days ride from here to Kawaka and with all this smoke I can't even tell where 'here' is. Besides, I've never seen anything like that in my life. It's like witnessing sorcery."_

_Sigma twelve and every other outpost was hit in mass. No one survived except a few ragged apes and some very tired men. _A full force concentration of tanks, ground troops, and artillery, struck with overwhelming might. It was very similar to what the Germans had done in WWII. The Imperiam used speed and surprise as it punched into the Argos Net, in classic blitzkrieg fashion. Once they'd broken through they maneuvered from flank to flank, keeping the enemy off-balance. St James and the accompanying apes were in utter confusion. No defensive line was able to form. The ranks broke and chaos ensued. It was a massacre. The superior might and machinery of the Empire crushed any resistance as easily as one would step on an ant. 

_A ragtag bunch of Human Coalition soldiers along with a few of Sullen's foot soldiers managed to commandeer a vehicle and head north. Once they hit the massive forest between the Argo's Net and the Settled Territories to the north, they'd started a fire. It was enough to halt the Imperiam advance but even a fire couldn't stop a bullet. The unlucky human NCO had learned that lesson the hard way. The projectile only grazed him but it put the fear God in his soul. _

_Master Sergeant Brent Hulling looked around at the others he'd just escaped with; two other men and two stinking monkeys. He laughed to himself as he gazed at the cockamamie burlap and leather costumes they called uniforms. _

_One of the apes was pulling leaves off a bush and eating them as if he's been handed a tenderloin steak. It reminded the man that he was hungry. He wasn't a vegetarian and even if he had been, leaves still would not have been on the menu. Furthermore it reinforced his feelings of hopelessness. The animal was right; there was no hiding from the magic he'd just witnessed. All he did was postpone the inevitable. Still, he tried to remain positive. _

_"__Two days, huh?" He asked looking at the humongous beast. "Well we're not riding, as you put it. At least not on horseback anyway; we're getting in that vehicle and heading north" _

_"…__And were going to do it as quickly we can." He added as the drops of rain began to fall. _

_** On the other side of the blaze_

_"__We're stuck, Tim" the man said to his commanding officer. "No one is getting through that." He paused and handed the ape the binoculars. _

_The orangutan, Colonel Timorus, had come to the same conclusion long before his executive officer ever spoke. He'd tried artillery, dozing equipment and even a few direct runs. The blaze was too high, too vast and just too hot. But fate was smiling. It had just begun to rain and it looked like it was going to pick up. Still it would be some time before they would be moving forward._

_"__Pass the word down the chain of command." The ape ordered. "I want security setup and any field maintenance we can perform done while we wait. They can rest, but I want everyone to be able to move at a moment's notice. We might as well take advantage of this. I'm going to try and reach New Eden again" _

_"__Understood, Sir." The OX replied. "I've also got a Company sized clean up element dispatched. They're shooting the enemy survivors and gathering any assets we can use. But we won't find much."_

_"__What about those rifles their leadership had?" Timorus asked. "They're equipped with smart rounds. We lost three squads from just one of those things."_

_"__R and D has them. They're not unlike our XC-600s I'm told. We'll know soon enough, Sir" the man replied._

_Changing the subject, the OX pointed and added "There's a CP setup with V.V.L in the 98__th__ ID camp. If you need to reach New Eden, they'll have the equipment already in place. But get some rest, Tim. I'll handle things out here"_

_"__Thank you my friend," The colonel answered with paw on the shoulder. "But as the saying goes; an ape's work is never done" _

_He signaled for his driver and then headed off to the 98__th__ CP. Colonel Timorus_still had moderate contact with Tods and the other lateral Commanders who were spear-heading towards the other nations. But communications with New Eden had been abruptly cut. Even the attempts to contact Ithaca proved fruitless. Ithaca was the Empire's secondary command POC. It was the alternate location if New Eden became compromised. It seemed unlikely, but he assumed the enemy was somehow dampening their VID-signals. But it just didn't make sense. These apes had no such technology, as far as he knew. How do you block signals with sticks and stones? And even if they were, why could he still make contact with the other elements? For now, that question would have to go unanswered.

** Later

It took another fifteen hours before the weather affected things enough for the dozing equipment to rip a path through the smoldering forest. The rain had resolved one problem but caused another issue simultaneously. A thick mud had formed. That had tacked on another several hours of delay but they'd finally reached their objective.

The small reconnaissance element took an ISO-VID of the target ahead. It was being relayed back in real-time as the main element devised their attack strategy. The city looked normal. There were obstacles, trenches and other defensive objects in place. It was active but noting out of the ordinary.

"Command, this is O-six. I think we can get in closer. Please advise, over" the human officer stated.

The reply was stern but flexible. "Simians only. I say again, no human is to move forward."

The man acknowledged the order and sent two soldiers ahead. The apes slithered away like snakes and disappeared from sight. The man who was commanding the expedition, cozied up against the large tree closed his eyes, figuring he could catch a good sixty minutes of sleep. Just as he was about to drift off he felt a slight nudge. A skinny nineteen year old Private was waiving an e-pad in his face.

The man blinked and then his eyes locked in on the urgent issue at hand. The bios on the two soldiers were no longer green. According to the biological relay chips they were dead. Two small red dots were blinking on the display.

_"__Sir, it doesn't make sense." The Private whispered. He looked at the confused expression on the officer's face and then handed the man the binoculars. "Here, look about three hundred meters that way. Towards that large wooden building on the edge of the settlement"_

_The Lieutenant gazed through the object and found the spot the Private was referring to. There on the ground were the two dead soldiers. They were well shy of the town. What could have killed them, the man wondered. No shots were fired and there no signs they'd ambushed with knives or arrows either. _

_The LT lowered the eyepiece and scratched at the side of his neck. He thought for a second and then he signaled for the last remaining simian in the recon element to come forward. _

_"__Corporal, get out there and retrieve those bodies. Put on a chemical mask. There may be toxins in the area. Stay alert. I don't think we're compromised, but there's no telling." The man stated._

_Moments later, the ape took to the tree line, shielding himself, as he zigzagged his way forward. When he reached the open grassy area he began to bound forward, crouching low. As he reached the spot where the other two simians sat, he began to convulse and finally fell prone. On the e-pad, the LT watched a third red dot appear. _

_"__Did you get that on ISO-VID, Private?" the officer asked._

_The young enlisted soldier nodded and spoke at the same time. "Yes Sir, but it doesn't make sense. He was wearing protective gear. I mean …"_

_"__Just V.V.L. it back to command. Let Timorus deal with it." The man interrupted bluntly. "Our mission is done. We're pulling out, right now." _

_** Back at the temporary CP thirty minutes later_

_"__How is that possible?" Timorus asked the R and D specialist attached to his staff. "These simpletons don't even have plumbing. Their weapon of choice is a musket, for crying out loud. They're still using powder and they haven't even developed a smokeless powder, at that. How do they suddenly know how to disrupt our bio-chips?" _

_"__I don't have that answer, Colonel" the orangutan scientist responded. "But that's exactly what they're doing. I was able to examine one of the soldiers we retrieved. His brain is hemorrhaged from a neural overload. The nanites were reprogrammed via a distinct wireless virus. And it's highly sophisticated and Imperiam too, which makes sense given their level of development. They're obviously getting help"_

_The ape commander paused. With a brisk exhale he accepted the situation for what it was. He had three dead soldiers as evidence. The ape set down the data-pad with the scientific information. It made little sense to him anyway. He looked at the simian and asked; "Ok, so they can access the chips. Give me some good news…some answers. Any idea what's causing it?"_

_The scientist picked up the e-pad, spoke a few commands and a small schematic of the landscape appeared. "Look at the red overlay. Given the ISO-VID data and a scan I took a few minutes ago, this is the kill-zone. The yellow ring on the outside is safe, but considered danger-close. However, if you look here you'll see that …"_

_Timorus was no scientist and had already tuned out what the ape's babblings. He understood tactics though. He summarized the situation before the ape ever began the explanation. "We're stuck. Whoever set this up, did it right. We can't even by-pass this place. There's no way we could get our troops and equipment through that terrain. It's too vegetated and too hilly. Doctor, can we use the two EH Cannons; possibly punch a hole in their net?"_

_"__Possibly. It depends on the refractive dampening, but I think the EH Cannons can be refined to overwhelm the pulse." the ape stated. _

_"__Well, I'm not playing around with these back-woods savages. You work on that, Doctor. I have an idea of my own."_

_The ape left the science vehicle and walked into his Command Post. "Any world from New Eden?" he asked. _

_The man on the V.V.L panel just nodded with a casual 'no'._

_"__What in hell is going on back home that they're sticking to VID silence?"_

_**New Eden – Several days earlier**_

_General Cade had brought more personnel and equipment than he'd wanted to. Moving quickly was of the essence and this was an all or nothing effort. He'd barley had enough time to gather the resources or key people he required but he'd finally managed to pull it off. _

_Almost, that is. He still needed to get out another seventy Kilometers or so to safely avoid the blast. They were cutting it close but the ape was trying. Their four vehicle convoy was forced to slow down a bit so as to not critically injure the recovering captured ape Major. Once they reached their final destination he'd be useful as either an ally or a bargaining chip. It didn't matter to Cade. _

_He swallowed a big gulp of whiskey and patted his ego on the back for cheating death once again. The horizon was dusty but at least he had a future. Things might be a little rough, at first, but he'd find a way to manage. _

_"__What in the world are you doing, Chapman?" The General asked the man. "Why do you keep looking at that chrono-log? This is fifth time you've pulled up the time display. Do you have somewhere to be?" _

_"__Sixty seconds, General Cade?" the scientist replied._

_"__Huh? Sixty seconds until … no… but you said." Cade shot back in a panic._

_"__I lied, you pompous, arrogant oversized rug." The man said bluntly. It felt good to finally stand up to the tyrant. "The modification we made from that downed craft included using their fuel mixture in the warheads. That alone will magnify the yield by several hundred kilometers. This will be no normal blast. And there are three missiles so none of us will escape it." _

_Cade never replied, nor was he able to react. The wave of intense heat and radiation swept though the area and vaporized everything and everyone instantly. All seven of the existing Imperiam cities, as well as, their military outposts were destroyed in one moment. The once great kingdom took its place in time and like a mist evaporated away into nothingness of history. _

_**Arum City**_

_The Third Imperiam Division crossed the border of what was once the US State of Minnesota and right into the heart of the Northern Ape territories. Up to this point all of the reported Imperiam activity had been near Argos, in the south. This attack had come in total surprise. _

_The farming outposts and small villages were poorly armed. The garrisons were at about twenty-five percent strength. A few had been upgraded with repeating rifles, but that made little difference against reinforced, mechanized, tri-tanium vehicles. _

_Some apes fought bravely, some fled; others fell without even knowing what hit them. But the end result was the same; annihilation. The Empire had been somewhat careful not to totally decimate the region as it was rich in vegetation and water. Clearing out the ape infestation was their primary goal._

_First Arum and the surrounding settlements would fall and then they'd move on to Kawaka and link up with Timorous. Once that was accomplished there'd be nothing left except to occupy and annex the entire region. Those who were fortunate enough to survive could become part of the Empire. As long as they cooperated and contributed, that was. The Kingdom could always use more peasant labor. And apes were ideal candidates for such tasks. _

_The illumination drones were high in the air over the city. The spotters were calling in missile strikes as the mechanized units flattened everything in their path. The majority of Arum troops had been pulled to Argos and the city was almost derelict. After ninety minutes of shelling and devastation the Provincial Governor, who lived in Arum, formally surrendered the city. _

_**The Island**_

_The news had been limited to a select few. The reports were beyond devastating; astonishing information was coming in from every OP they'd established. He was surrounded by more humans than apes but he honestly didn't care at this point. He thought his world had turned upside-down when the two humans first arrived, but what was happening now made that look like a picnic. The worse part was the complete feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed his spirit. _

_Thirty minutes earlier, he'd gathered Grazot, Hayes, March and several others as they looked at the options available. __Every precaution they'd put in place had failed. There was no word from St James or Colonel Plateaus. In fact, there's nothing at all coming from Argos. The Sigma outposts last reported sighting a massive__ Contingent and now … silence. Further, he'd just got a report that Kawaka had fallen. General Mikos had been hung and a majority of the populace was dead from some sort of areal poisoning. Brewster had put the bio-disruptors in place but it had only slowed the inevitable. All looked hopeless; _In fact, the human's had already sent the code phrase; _'red wolf', asking for ODN rockets to bury their capital. …Suicide and yet what was the alternative? _

_The Imperiam was coming in two directions; from the northwest and up through the southeast._ Brewster had already gotten the Holo imaging up. They had images of Washington and some of the other cities. Their forces were concentrated in several settlements. The time to act was now.

_Sullen mumbled to himself as he headed towards the old radar-array_. He'd thought hard but he saw no alternative. "We may be isolated but we're not blind and we're not helpless. If I stop them here, I stop them for good."

The orangutan paused as he reached his destination. _His mind took in everything at once. "If I let the Doctor unleash those old human rockets on every city we have, I'd be signing the death certificates of every ape and human animal out there. There's no turning back from that. But if I don't act, there won't be anyone left to save."_

_"__Ah, Prefect" Brewster stated as he saw Sullen entered the area. "I have some good news. Holo imaging is fully up and I was able to interface with the orbital platform, as my cousin's to the south have requested. As you know, one of their missiles got through but several of the others escaped damage. Now I've targeted some of …"_

_"__Just do it Doctor." Sullen stated plainly "This madness has gone on for far too long." _

_The Doctor gave a quick rebuttal but Sullen shook his balled up paw and shouted "Do it NOW! … __and may the Creator have mercy on my soul__."_

_The Imperiam Colonel uploaded his instructions. _

_"__If I give the authentication codes, Excellency, there's no stopping it. Are you sure you want to do this?" Brewster stated. _

_Sullen said nothing in reply. Instead he nodded and then walked off. The die was now cast. Every platform received the hacked authentication protocols and each sent a series of warheads streaking towards the planet below._


	49. Chapter 49: The End

**Twenty miles west of Arum**

The rounds punched into the trunk of the thick oak tree and scattered bark in every direction as they dotted across its wooden husk. Corporal Mesick of the Northern Territorial Contingent grabbed the young footape, to his front, and pulled him down with a forceful jolt. The gorilla was barely seventeen and had lied about his age to join the Contingent. Though he was young, he'd pretty much failed at everything he'd tried and the militia was his last chance at success. But as with everything else, the ape made a horrible soldier. The Corporal had been responsible for the pup since he'd joined. A task he wished would go away.

"Get your head down before you lose it, you idiot." The gorilla grunted firmly. "Those aren't muskets, they're repeaters."

"Why aren't they surrendering?" Private Asur asked. "Seems like they'd rather die than do what's practical."

Corporal Mesick shook his head, fired his musket, and said "I don't have the slightest clue, but hopefully the LT knows what he's doing, because our butts are hanging out here and all we are is one big target to them. …here reload this…"

"That was the plan, wasn't it Corporal?" the ape said peering out slightly.

"Damn it, boy …" Mesick barked, in frustration, jerking the Private back to safety, once again.

Another cascade of weapon's fire sprayed into the foliage muffling out the last few cuss words that Mesick decided to add, after the fact. This round of gunfire was followed by a small circular object rolling into their area.

"Hey what's that?" Asur asked as he dropped the flintlock rife and foolishly reached out for the object.

"ASUR!" the Corporal shouted. "Are you insane? We don't even…"

ka-boom The grenade detonated.

Private Asur took the brunt of the blast but part of the shrapnel ripped into Mesick. Small pieces of his shoulder neck and face were torn asunder and though it hurt like the dickens, he'd live. The ape looked down at what was left of Asur and concluded that it was only inevitable. The Private had been a walking death trap from the time he'd met him. His foolhardy demise came as no surprise and, sadly, he would not be missed.

Several musket shots went off in chorus followed by a shout of; All clear. Asur's luck had run out a bit early. If the Ape Lieutenant and the rest of his squad had been ten seconds quicker, he'd be alive. They'd managed to flank the two Imperiam soldiers while Asur and Mesick kept them busy. Not the best of plans, the Corporal thought, but it worked. …well for him anyway.

The area was just outside the ODN bombardment, but barely. The now dead Imperiam soldiers had scattered, once the missiles were picked up on their equipment. They'd taken shelter in a cave and waited it all out. However, the ape survivors from Sullen's nation were now sweeping out to take back their infested lands.

"Ok everyone, grab their food, weapons, and anything else of value and let's get these bodies disposed of." The ape, in command, ordered.

**The Island**

It had been over twelve hours since the ODN fired virtually every missile in its arsenal. Arrangements were being made to load soldiers onto boats and back towards the mainland. Several of them had already departed and by noon the remaining vessels would be on their way. Once they reached the shores of the Great Fish Pond, it was still a good twenty four hour, plus, ride south to Arum. But it had to be done. They were sitting here blind and the General needed tangible information. For all anyone knew, no one had survived …and, for that matter maybe everyone had. The latter was unlikely, but there was no way of knowing unless eyes were on site.

General Grazot, along with a few selected soldiers would remain behind, in hope, of gathering some of the broader answers. Ones that, with any luck, could be addressed, much quicker, by these ghost images from the communication gadgets they'd salvaged. The equipment had been piecemealed together by Brewster and Hayes but only a few areas could be mapped. However, as soon as he had his answers he too was leaving. The thought of going back in that cold murky water disturbed the gorilla but this was war and sitting on an island safe and cozy just didn't seem right.

General Grazot bit into the hunk of beef he'd grabbed from the cook on his way to the communications post. It wasn't quite enough to fill him up but then again nothing seemed to ever fill that humongous belly of his. He gnawed at the remaining scraps of meat on the bones and then tossed them aside as he walked into the tent.

"Sit down …as you were" he said to a couple of solders who jumped up as soon as he entered. He waved them aside with a paw and picked up the _e-status pad_ …or at least that was what the good Colonel called it. Grazot gazed in confusion at the information and fumbled with the interfaces. It looked like Greek to the ape. He finally decided he'd get his facts the easy way; by asking.

"Who's responded so far?" The General inquired.

"New Washington and according to the map you provided, Kuo, Rizinia, and three cities that are part of your Isca-Coria settlement." the human manning the radar station answered. "The reports are still coming in. However, all other locations are silent"

"Kuo" the ape mumbled, as he used his tongue to free a tiny piece of meat lodged in a tooth. "That settlement is so remote they probably didn't even know a war was waging. When did Sullen send communications equipment out there, I wonder?"

Grazot dismissed the thought, as quickly as it came, and asked, "What about Imperiam traffic?"

"Yes Sir. We're picking up some enemy broadcasts as well." The man answered. "They're varied and sound more like they're probing for information…asking for updates, signaling may-days, requesting new orders and things like that. My guess is we hit them pretty hard and they're still stinging from the blow. Before the strike I couldn't keep the traffic straight, now we're only getting sporadic messages."

"Send updates to anyone near those Imperiam broadcasts." Grazot ordered. "I want those units mopped up."

Colonel Brewster walked in holding a hot beverage in one hand and one of his fancy gadgets in the other. He'd only heard the last portion of the Radio/Transmitter's sentence, but threw his two cents into the fray anyway.

"They're finished, General", the man stated in confidence. "I've linked the com equipment with some old satellites still in orbit. As primitive as it is; the field-pad that Captain Hayes possesses contains certain authorization codes. They allowed me to get a real-time VID almost immediately. From what I've seen over the past couple of hours, I'd estimate that over ninety eight percent of their militia and equipment were destroyed."

Brewster tossed the pad to Grazot as he gulped down some of the stale coffee. Half mumbling as he drank, he added. "I've adapted it to the current geography. All you have to do is speak a city name and the VID will appear on screen."

General Grazot snarled mildly in annoyance, as he barely caught the device. "Last couple of hours? That would have been nice to know at the time …_Before_ I sent half our militia back to the mainland in a total frenzy. I'm starting to think you and Captain Hayes have more in common than your intellect."

The RTO smirked. He'd witnessed Hayes push the General's buttons more than once.

"My sincere apologies", Brewster casually fibbed, "I was too focused on the adaptation to even realize what was going on. As I've said before, I'm more of a scientist than a tactician."

An excuse he'd used again and again and again. In reality, the Colonel didn't give a rip about anything except his agenda and that was simply revenge on a nation he'd given his life to support. A country that had then thanked him by; Shooting him, stripping him of his nobility, seizing his lands, and murdering his heirs. He rarely spoke of it but his heart often ached for the children the Empire had mercilessly plucked from his life.

He'd brilliantly rerouted the guidance systems of the nuclear missiles back towards the Imperiam cities and when he'd been given permission by Sullen to access the ODN, it was almost like Christmas day to the man. That had been the final victory for him. And now that it was verified and re-verified, as far as Brewster was concerned, this war was over_. Let these Neanderthals mop up the mess_, he thought. His only concern now was a cushy spot in whatever government would pay him the most.

Grazot looked over the modified e-pad Brewster had given him. He was becoming more desensitized with technology. It didn't quite have the allure it once carried, although the ape did feel a bit ridiculous talking to a flat shiny object.

As he fumbled with the device another interruption spilled into the communication's tent. However, this news left the ape astonished.

"Sir … sir…", the gorilla huffed, unable to get all of the words to come out. He looked as if he'd sprinted all the way from wherever he'd come. And he had too. He bent over and put his paws on his knees and took in a few rapid breaths.

Grazot mechanically drew his sidearm and clutched it firmly at his side. His instincts had him thinking that the island must be under attack, but in this case, those instincts were wrong. The Troop Sergeant, who'd finally recovered a bit, summed things up in six words. "The Lord Prefect is dead, General"

"What?" Grazot replied still filtering his thoughts through a screen of invasion, "How? Was he murdered? Are we under attack?"

Troop Sergeant Vold shook his head as he simultaneously took in a big swig of water from a flask at his side. "No … It's nothing like that Sir. Here, look at this …"

He then handed the ape a piece of parchment and claimed; "It should explain things more clearly, Sir"

Grazot gazed at it for a moment as he realized what was really going on. He read the first few lines and said, "Suicide?", in an inquisitive way.

"Yes Sir" the ape Sergeant replied. "He hung himself from a tree. As they were preparing the body for formal burning, they found this note in his pocket."

Grazot looked down and reread the last words of his departed leader;

_My fellow Simians. I spent my life trying to build our society into a utopia. That was mostly done by suppressing the truth and strictly controlling the flow of information. I was wrong, blind, and foolish. Because of my pride and arrogance, I set a series of events into place that have resulted in just the opposite. I blamed humans for all our woes, humans for all that's evil, and concluded that man was the harbinger of death. However, in one decision, I willingly murdered countless souls; Friends, colleagues, and even my own grandchildren. In the end, the only angel of death on this planet was me. And that is a curse I cannot live with. _

_In my final act as leader of The Council and Lord Prefect of the Settled Territories, I hereby grant General Grazot a full pardon for any and all crimes brought against him. Further, in the absence of a formal governing body, I now promote him to the rank of Supreme General and I'm invoking pro tempore leadership to the ape. He is to use this authority to rebuild a society based on truth, freedom, and equality. This world has seen enough destruction and heard enough lies. It's time to bury the past and lead our people into the future._

At the bottom was Sullen's official seal. No one who saw this would be able to dispute its authenticity. After almost eighteen months of plotting, General Grazot had finally achieved his ultimate goal. He was now the sole authority among his people. "A hollow victory…A very hollow victory, indeed", the ape concluded.

The Lord Prefect had blamed it all on himself. After he'd given Brewster the ok to unleash the ODN, he left the area, made peace with his creator, and took his life.

"Troop Sergeant" Grazot stated quietly. "Have everyone assemble within the hour at the open field just east of that old dwelling. We're burning the Prefect's body and then leaving this land mass for home."

**New Washington**

Nate Childs limped through the ruins and was astonished at what he saw. He'd been battling apes most of his life. He'd seen buildings fall, simians cut to pieces by bombs or automatic fire, and he'd even personally observed the aftermath of artillery, both up close and personal. But nothing he'd ever witnessed resembled destruction of this magnitude. One third of the city was completely leveled. The husks of half vaporized equipment, structures, and vehicles went on as far as he could see.

The charred remains of an Imperiam soldier crunched under his feed as he strode forward. Childs was injured from the attack on his command center and his wounded leg buckled as it twisted sideways. The unsteady terrain didn't help matters either.

"Please Sir, be careful" a staff officer said as he assisted the man.

"I'm fine, Major …and thank you" He replied. "Ok, we've been at this for over an hour. Have someone signal Colonel Eli. Tell him to gather any ape survivors and then get a message to the other recon elements. We're to rally at the ODN TOC in thirty minutes."

"Sir, no disrespect, but is that what we really want to do? I mean the ODN is…" the man began to ask.

"Listen Jeff." His commander interrupted casually. "You saw the bombardment. It lasted for twenty minutes and it hit everywhere and then some. There isn't an ape or human settlement left …oh a few of our remote cities and a few of theirs are in tact, but we still may have a mutual enemy on the loose. Besides, St James was a wise leader. He planned for an ODN strike on DC long, long ago. We have a load of tech and equipment underground that survived the assault. If war is inevitable, with the Territorial Nation, our side will be more than ready for it. But let's face it. This changes everything. What good is a missile platform without any missiles?"

The conversation was shortened by a shout several feet away. "Here's another one." The man bellowed. "He's unconscious and bleeding, but still alive"

"Have a medic get him out of there and put him with the rest of the POWs", the human Major replied.

The man turned to his commander and added. "Cripes Nate, that makes seven. How even one could have survived is beyond me."

"Well at least he's human" Childs replied. "The last two we found were gorillas. It took half a platoon to get them out and onto the flatbeds. Damn beasts are as heavy as that slop we called breakfast, this morning"

** Later

"Rockwell" Childs stated. "It's remote and our only major settlement to survive"

"That and this ancient capital of yours, you mean" Colonel Eli shot back quite defensively. "Your prize settlement survives, as does Rockwell and we lose everything. Do you think we didn't know of Rockwell or of the newly constructed factories at Fort Jefferson?"

Actually Childs didn't and it showed on his face.

A second ape, who was part of Eli's staff, slammed a balled up fist into the metallic table at his side. The force of the strike bucked the steel face and the room got very quiet. "How do we know this wasn't your plan, all along? St James was always hanging the ODN over our heads" he grunted. "He even admitted …more than once… that he was in Ceasera as a conqueror, not a liberator. And now we're all but extinct. How convenient for your Human Coalition"

Rifles on both sides began to rise amidst the growing tensions. Childs was starting to think he should have listened to the officer who suggested against the meeting. He calmly spoke to his men as he limped forward.

"Stand down …all of you" he ordered, eventually stepping between the two groups.

Childs got uncomfortably close to the ape that had crushed the table. He pointed a finger in his face and went on; "First off this wasn't planned. And if you'd think it through, you'd see how stupid that crack sounds. I lost family in the New Holland settlement to the west of here. All six hundred inhabitants are dead…Including my mother. Do you think we'd kill six hundred of our own to take you all down? Besides, it wasn't much but we grew food there, as well. It accounted for 25% of our supply in this location."

He stepped back a little and exhaled. "Look I get it. We have a long history of hate and distrust but if you pull that trigger all of us really will become extinct because this has to end one way or the other. Besides, your people out number the human race by far. You heard the broadcast from your cousins to the North. They lost all of their border cities, as well as, their capital and two remote settlements …but over a half dozen other towns survived. Their territory is massive. It doubles both of ours …combined. They estimate the survivors to be in the thousands. Now we have a choice. We can keep fighting, like we've done for centuries or we can end it, now …and rebuild. Moreover, there could still be Imperiam elements out there and we won't get this kind of an offer from them".

The air in the room remained relatively thick, but the apes lowered their weapons as Eli gestured for them to do so. Childs looked each ape square in eyes and stopped at Eli. He then made a symbolic gesture that was common in both cultures. It symbolized peace, even if it had normally only meant a temporary one. The man pulled out a canteen, took a drink, and handed it to the ape Colonel.

"The choice is yours" he said bluntly. "You're going need food, shelter, medicine... Most of New Washington is standing and though many parts are still in ruin, many parts are not. We can and will make enough room for as many refugees as necessary. …No, make that; Allies. …Friends"

It took another fifteen minutes but both sides finally came to an understanding. Riders containing both human and ape soldiers were sent in every direction with a message of sanctuary. It was important that people's basic needs be addressed otherwise a whole new set of problems could arise.

In the weeks that followed, a shaky, yet effective, alliance slowly evolved into a multispecies community. Boarders became blended and societies slowly comingled. Both groups had seen enough fighting and were becoming more focused on the immediate issues at hand.

The few surviving Imperiam soldiers were offered amnesty, as long as they formally surrendered and promised to contribute to the rebuilding effort. Oddly enough, many of them assimilated into the new society well. Their culture was militaristic, but very 'all or nothing'. They'd lost, thus the enemy 'owned' them, so to speak. They were also highly intelligent and very used to working and interacting with the opposite species.

General Grazot and the nation to the north played a key role in things, as well. They'd experienced destruction, but the region was fertile and had bounded back quickly. Thus, they'd become a major source of food and water. However, getting those supplies several hundred miles south, had become a fulltime task. Oddly, but not surprisingly, many had requested to migrate north and permanently settle there. …Including humans.

It took months but times were changing and the lines of bias and hatred were being replaced by hard work, self reliance, and an instinct for survival. An initiative took place to build a permanent route between the Northern and Southern provinces. Settlements were even planted in the once Banned Territories.

As trade cultivated, migration grew, and prosperity returned; talk of forming a single nation was proposed. Delegates met in New Washington and over the next few years a solution was finally agreed upon and brought to a vote before the general public. Progress and the winds of freedom were reemerging and nothing was going to stop it this time.

**Epilogue **

**The United Territorial Republic - Arum** **City – Twenty five years later**

As Jonathan Hayes walked the streets, he stared out at the very place his adventures began. The city had expanded and looked vastly different than the prehistoric village he'd crash-landed in all those years back. Powered lights illuminated the smoothly paved avenue. Random street vehicles passed here and there and a relatively modern architecture now donned almost every structure in sight. In many ways it resembled a typical city, from his era.

The cold morning air chafed at his face. He'd grown up in the state of Michigan so ice and snow were no strangers to the displaced American. But the older he got, the less he cared for it. He was in his early twenties when they'd originally arrived but was now approaching fifty. Well, in a few years anyway but it was still close enough, he thought. He felt his muscles stiffen as the blustery wind swept over him like a large frosty blanket. His body couldn't shrug things off like it used to.

He could have commuted but he actually enjoyed the long walk. Truth was; he wanted the exercise. Keeping his gut from looking like Santa was also a thing he'd discovered he had to deal with. The man exercised regularly but was learning that it didn't necessarily mean he could eat half a cow and not pay a price for it. Another joy of aging, he supposed.

It was quite soothing to hike, so early in the morning. Most of the city was asleep. It gave him time to think and prepared him for the busy schedule ahead. He was being dragged into some top secret, hush – hush discussion. Washington always played things out with drama.

"Carp, its cold" he complained, shaking his body to generate some heat.

He'd never moved south as planned and he only had himself to blame. Having a family and career could do that to a person. After all, he'd met his wife here and this was the place his three daughters and son had been born. It had taken awhile, but as odd as it seemed, this was now; home. His 'fingerprints' were all over this metropolis. He'd helped rebuild it, all those years ago, and that somehow made it more personal to the man.

He listened to the click of his heels echo off the hard frozen cement. The foggy lane reminded Hayes of the old black and white movies he watched as a boy. Sherlock Holmes came to mind as did the old cobblestone streets of London covered in a cloudy mist. He wondered if Jack the Ripper was going to pop out from the building in front of him. Instead, a more familiar comrade appeared.

"Good morning, Jonny" the soldier said as he formally saluted the man. Next he handed the officer a warm mug of coffee. "Compliments of Sierra, of course."

General Hayes returned the military greeting with a quick salute of his own. "Good morning, my friend, and thanks. I take back all those things I said about you." He added with a smile as he opened the canister and took a sip.

"Don't tell anyone, Sir. I do have a reputation to keep up, after all" The ape joked back.

"Hmm, that hits the spot! That wife of yours has a magic touch when it comes to food. Even this coffee tastes like something exotic. So how is the family, these days?" Hayes asked as he sipped more of the hot brew.

"Third one will be here any day. The physicians say she's right on schedule" Sergeant Major Kutos replied. "And you know how the twins are, Colonel …sorry… I mean General…still getting used to that. …Anyway, now that they're climbing, I can't seem to keep up with them. Mica made it to the rafters last night and it was a fiasco getting her down and into bed. She was practically on the roof before I finally caught up with her. I tell you, Jonny. I only have two and can't fathom how you handle four"

"Kids! It's like having a second job, isn't it?" Hayes added with a chuckle. "I can't believe that Sarah is fifteen and that Benjamin will be twelve in less than a week …Seems just like yesterday, he was waddling around in diapers. And Chloe's talking about marrying Mickey. …My baby girl; a grown woman already."

Hayes paused in midsentence and mumbled "…Where does time go? It's ironic how life works. A few years ago I would have given my right arm to go back to what I'd left. Now …I don't think I'd change a thing …even if I had the power. I can't imagine life without my family."

The two soldiers walked to the front of the compound and presented their credentials to the young guard, on duty. It was only his second day on the post and he was completely out of his element. The man nervously logged them in and gave an over exaggerated salute to Hayes as he added "Uh ga - good morning General, You're good to go …um Sir". He pushed a button and the large metal gate retracted.

"Take it easy, Corporal. It's too cold for you to have a heart attack" Kutos whispered.

Hayes and his senior advisor chatted about family, life, the weather, and military business for the next several minutes as they made their way to the briefing area. Once inside, the Sergeant Major went in one direction and Hayes headed in the other. Showing courtesy and following military protocol, everyone within the room rose to their feet. A numbing silence filled the air as the man paced to the front.

"At ease" the officer said taking a seat at the head of the table. "Good morning everyone. I know you've all been briefed. I want to thank you for all the congratulations regarding my recent promotion. It isn't official but Lieutenant Colonel Gregory will taking command next week in an official ceremony. He'll also be getting a promotion: to full Colonel. Congratulations Phil. But we all know why we're here and with that I'm going to turn it over to the Colonel."

Lieutenant Colonel Gregory rose to his feet and began his report. "Thank you General. As you know, approximately a decade ago, well after our society had stabilized and we fully modernized, we made attempts to search out to other regions of the world. After all, If the America's had survived, surely Europe, Asia and like had too."

The man paused and took a quick drink of his coffee. He used the natural gap to bring up an old two dimensional image taken from one of the ancient satellites. It displayed a bloody scene on the shores of what was once Spain.

"We all know how that ended." He continued. "The first landing parties were massacred shortly after hitting the shore. The region is overrun by radical religious warlords and militaristic despots. A rescue attempt was made via a second initiative but it was costly. Only a few survived. Shortly after, the New Washington Council scrapped the project. We've been pretty isolationist ever since."

The briefing lasted about forty five minutes. After that was a routine readiness inspection of the 222nd maintenance Co, some preliminary turn-over with Gregory, and then back to his office for e-paperwork. Six hundred years later and there were still bureaucrats who insisted on having all the "Is" doted and all the "Ts" crossed.

Knock – Knock

"Computer, pause statement, record dictation, and save for future update and editing" Hayes said looking up at the door and stating for the knocker to enter.

"Well, well Jonny" the old gorilla said. "I thought they'd have drummed an old slouch like you out of the service long ago."

The human General laughed as he looked at the grey furry beast entering his office. "Grazot!" he replied trying to think of a witty comeback. When nothing came to mind he simply continued with "It's great to see you, my friend. Please, have a seat"

The government official was over sixty five years old and he was already well on the way to plopping his tired old husk in the nearest chair he could find.

"Let me have one of those cigars, will ya, please?" the ape said pointing at the case on Hayes's desk.

The man did as he was asked and then Grazot got to the point. "I know it must have been hard listening to that briefing. …Lots of ghosts associated with that mission"

"Somewhat" Hayes answered. "I made peace with Tom's death long ago."

"Yes, but have you made peace with the circumstances too?" The General stated somewhat directly. "For a long time you blamed yourself."

"That's quite ironic, Sir" Hayes replied, being just as blunt. "After all, you went on the mission with him …and you survived. I should be asking you the same question."

Before the ape could reply, Hayes backed off and apologized. "There's nothing loaded in that. I know you did what was right. If you hadn't retreated when you did, everyone would have been killed. And if Susan hadn't been pregnant, it would have been me instead of him. That was hard to live with at first. Just dumb luck, I guess. Once he found out we were expecting Ben, he talked me out of going. He used his rank and influence and ended up commanding the mission in my place."

Hayes poured himself a shot of scotch and swigged it down_; you have a family, Jon and you know what it's like to be widowed_, he said, _don't put that burden on Sue. I have no one. It makes sense for me to go_. "…Makes sense…Little did I know he wasn't returning. We all thought it was going to be cakewalk, didn't we? We never expected that those lunatics had old chemical weapons …and that they knew how to use them."

Grazot puffed on his cigar. In his old age he'd lost some of his patience and tact. He was too tired to be sympatric or coy, so he simply spoke his mind. "There's a reason I'm here, Jon. There's more to the briefing than what Gregory shared. It isn't just a satellite that fell. We're going back. …we have to."

Hayes cocked his head and simply replied with "Why? They're a bunch of savages. Half of them would hang the other half, at sunrise, for the glory of their false gods if they could get away with it. I say we let 'em be. What's one old satellite, anyway? Let them kill each other off. All we need to do is be ready for anything they can throw at us, but from what I've seen that's a good century or two off. By then we'll be …"

"It might be closer than you think" Grazot said firmly cutting the man off. He reached in his pocket, pulled out a data spike and tossed it to the man. "Look this over and be ready to discuss options at 0800 tomorrow. I need to get going. I have a meeting with General Harrison in ten minutes. Let's have dinner tonight. I've been dying to see that daughter of yours. Remember how she used lead me around like I was her pet?"

General Hayes grinned as he thought back and pictured the image in his head. "She's almost twenty two and has been leading me around by the nose since the day she was conceived. Women are good at doing that."

** The next morning 0800

The General hadn't slept most of the night. He popped a couple of stimulants and downed it with some of the coffee in the briefing room. Within minutes Grazot and a few others entered the area. One of them was the aged Doctor Brewster. He was nearly seventy five but barely looked sixty.

Hayes welcomed everyone and then let Grazot make an opening statement. Once that was conclude the real discussion took place.

"Gentlemen" Jonny stated "This is amazing and I can see the urgency. All of you know Hank Brewster and should be quite familiar with his work. Anyone who isn't would have had to have been in a coma for the last two decades. His knowledge far exceeds anyone I've ever worked with. I asked him to look over the data, as well. I didn't fully trust my preliminary findings. However, Hank's verified their authenticity. Evidently some kind of spacial anomaly has formed on the edge of our solar system"

"Ok," Hayes continued, "I've looked over the data, as requested. Does someone want to fill me in on what it all means?"

One of the Council Senators rose to his feet and spoke first. "General Hayes, first let me offer my congratulations on your recent promotion. Like Doctor Brewster, your reputation precedes you, as well. It was a long time coming and well deserved."

Hayes nodded in thanks. The ape certainly was a politician. The man wondered if the speech might have been different if the Senator weren't up for reelection. Although, over the years Hayes had made significant contributions of his own and also built up quite a name for himself. He was considered one of the founding fathers of the nation.

When the Republic's Constitution had been fully ratified, an amalgamated defense force was formed. Leadership was sparse and promotions were made at every level to fill gaps. Captain Hayes had refused to take part in it. He'd insisted that he progress through the ranks as any normal soldier would. Thus he'd waited almost an additional two years before being promoted to Major. He'd done his time and paid his dues.

The Senator rambled on for another thirty seconds and then finally got to the point. "Europe is third world waste land. It's amazing that anyone or anything even survives there, but I want you to look at what our spy satellites found. Computer, cascade surveillance footage …time index …June 3rd, 0200 hours plus thirty."

The images appeared in a 3D block. "Open Alpha three, grid two-seven-six, eight-eight-three and magnify." The ape ordered.

In an instant it all became clear. It was a ship, not a satellite. The Union Jack was clearly visible on the tail and it had distinct British markings on the wings.

"_HMS Vanguard_…" Hayes mumbled in amazement as he read the inscription on the side. The vessel was massive; at least three times the size as the _Dreadnaught_.

He turned his head and looked back at Grazot with an inquisitive expression on his face. The gorilla nodded and said "There's more." Looking at the screen he added "Computer play full index, June 3rd, 0200 hours."

It was like looking at an old science fiction film. The ship was on a decent course but looked as if it had manually stabilized, instead of crashing. But that wasn't what amazed the General. At least two dozen simians advanced towards the ship on horseback and in old rusted out tracked vehicles. The ship fired a high energy pulse that took out over half of them before they ever reached his position. Next, the pilot he assumed, a human male, exited the ship. Several of the remaining apes, leapt towards the man. Without effort he cut a chimp in two with something that looked like a sword. He threw a second blade at the charging gorilla and it split his skull in two. He reached for a pistol but was mobbed by the remaining apes. Suddenly the image faded.

"That's all we got" The Senator said. "The satellite moved out of range. But the point is, General Hayes, he sent out an SOS. That ship is in tact and armed to the teeth …and it has nuclear weapons."

"Can we back up a second, Senator?" Hayes asked. "That ship is from England. A country long gone. Further, I copied that VID to my pad. I've enhanced some of the footage. Whoever that man was, the patch he's wearing says; UKSF – SAS. That's _United Kingdom, Special Air Service_. That's England's elite Special Forces. They don't exist in this time"

"That's why we're here, General. From what we can tell that ship is basically from your time period…sixty years past the date you claimed to be from. His SOS stated he departed on April 7th, 2045"

"But how?" Hayes asked. "The Event collapsed after I tried to escape. There's no wormhole up there. Brewster confirmed that years ago"

"Evidently, there is now. That rupture in space, just formed a week ago; like a pin pricking its way through a piece of fabric." The ape claimed "Now I've ready read the report that Colonel March submitted years ago. I know the data shows that the tunnel or whatever you came through collapsed, but it looks like another may have opened. Let me get right to the point. You're the closest thing that man has to friends or family. We want to you to take a team and commandeer that ship. If you can't, you're to destroy it."

"Why not just use the orbital network. We armed it five years ago. I don't understand why you need people physically on site to…" Hayes stopped in mid sentence. "You want the ship, don't you? All that Imperiam technology that fell into our laps and it isn't enough. I saw those …beams, that thing fired."

"It's not like that Jonny. Two days ago the Separatists hijacked three of our long range air craft. It was during an air show when security was lax." Grazot explained. "After the shellacking we gave them the last time they tried something, the defense department thought it will be years before that tried anything else. But they had a spy who saw this Intel. They're already in Europe. We took out one of the crafts, but the others went stealth. We need get to that ship before they do. As much as I hate to ask, Jon, are you up for one last mission?"

…The end.

**I wanted to thank everyone who provided feedback. Your remarks were productive and very motivating. I probably would have scrapped this long ago, if no one had bothered to read it. **

**I've intentionally left some open "holes" in this chapter, in the chance that I decide to write a follow up in the future. – Thanks again everyone!**


End file.
